Music in the Shadows
by Novembertopaz
Summary: Naruto was always a quiet boy until one day Sasuke realizes he's been wrong about his teamate from the beginning and everything changes. Naruto starts to open up to those around him, but can he really enjoy a normal life after so long? Does everything always have to go wrong? I suck at summaries. -Currently Editing-
1. Chapter 1

**First Fanfic. Please R&R. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**There will be strong language at times and some OOC. BoyxBoy storyline. Don't like, don't read. **

**Song is Something Beautiful by Needtobreathe.**

**Chapter One. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke was badly injured though how badly he didn't know. Maybe he was dying. He was either dying or hallucinating because the voice he heard couldn't possibly be coming from the mouth he thought it was. Naruto didn't talk, ever. He thought it was definately a bad sign and prepared himself for the worst. His consciousness slipped and he sank slowly into darkness once more. The last thing he heard was an angelic voice singing a very beautiful song. When he woke again he heard someone humming a pleasant tune. Upon opening his eyes he saw the usually quiet blond staring off into space. Obviously the tune was one the young man had known for quite some time because it took no concentration for him to keep it up.

"That's a nice tune," Sasuke finally murmured, causing the teen to jump. "Am I dead?" he asked, bracing himself.

The other boy laughed; it was a throaty and intriguing sound. "Far from it. Just a little banged up."

"Then how are you talking?" he inquired a little impatiently.

Naruto lifted a golden eyebrow then said matter-of-factly, "My mouth and tongue take the vibrations from my vocal chords and add them to my vast vocabulary to create speech."

Sasuke laughed then winced from the pain it caused. "Smartass. You know what I meant."

"I talk. Just not to everyone," Naruto admitted.

"I've never heard you before. You can't talk that much if your own team's never heard you."

"My team doesn't need me to talk. Besides, it's not often I find anyone to listen," he said with a shrug.

"People would listen if you gave them a chance. You might even get a girlfriend," Sasuke teased.

Naruto snorted. "Dude, I'm gay."

Sasuke was surprised. "Oh." He decided to change the subject. "So... who do you talk to?"

"Well, Jiraiya was the first. He brought me here. Hinata and I started talking when I 'came out'. I have an occasional conversation with Tsunade and was quite close to the Sandaime. I started talking to Gaara when we went out for a month after the chunin exams. After we broke it off because we were both in love with other people he told Neji of his feelings and I've been talking to him ever since. I play Shogi with Shikamaru sometimes, but we let the pieces do the talking."

Sasuke blinked in surprise and tried to figure out which part he wanted to question first. He decided to leave the people for later and focus on the deeper stuff. "You both fell in love with other people? Does that mean you have a boyfriend? I had no idea about you and Gaara."

"No. I don't have a boyfriend." Naruto was suddenly fidgety.

"He turned you down?" Sasuke asked sympathetically.

Naruto shook his head. "He doesn't know. And I intend to keep it that way."

"Who is it?" Sasuke was curious now.

"That's confidential," Naruto said quickly.

Sasuke realized that meant it was someone they knew. Maybe Shikamaru? "Okay. I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious since you've been in love with him for six years."

"I've actually loved him longer than that, I just didn't realize it 'til then." It was silent for a moment before Naruto looked anywhere but at Sasuke and said, "What is sex?"

Sasuke had been in the process of yawning and he choked on his own spit. "S-seriously? You've never learned about it?" Naruto shook his head. "Uh, I'd ask Kakashi. He'd probably be able to answer that better than I can."

"Is it a bad thing?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"No. Not at all. It's just kind of an awkward topic."

"Oh." Naruto got up and left the cave with the wet cloth he'd placed on Sasuke's forehead giving the injured ninja a moment to compose himself. He returned with it freshly rinsed and wrung out. He placed it on his forehead once again.

"So," Sasuke started carefully, "why'd you ask?"

"Gaara and Neji just recently started doing sex to each other, so I was curious," he said with another shrug.

"Most people say 'having sex with each other'," he corrected gently. He yawned again. "So why'd you start talking to me?" Sasuke inquired.

"Talking stimulates the healing process."

"Oh." His mouth once again opened in a yawn. "I'm sorry. I'm terribly tired at the moment."

"Well then, you should sleep."

Sasuke hummed in agreement. "Would you mind singing some more? My mom used to sing me to sleep. I find it comforting."

Naruto blushed. "Oh, you, uh, heard that?" Sasuke nodded. "Um, well, I'm not really used to singing in front of people. I just ran out of things to say."

"Please?"

"Okay." Naruto took a deep breath. "White lips, pale face, breathing in the snowflakes. Burnt lungs, sour taste. Light's gone, day's end, struggling to pay rent. Long nights, strange men. And they say she's in the class 'A' team, stuck in her daydream, been this way since eighteen, but lately her face seems slowly sinking wasting, crumbling like pastries and they scream the worst things in life come free to us! 'Cause we're just under the upperhand, and go mad for a couple grams, and she don't wanna go outside tonight. And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland, or sells love to another man. It's too cold outside for angels to fly, angels to fly."

Sasuke thought the song was so sad, but Naruto's voice was so beautiful and soothing the he once again drifted off. Naruto continued singing nonetheless. When Sasuke next awoke the blond was sleeping soundly. Sasuke didn't see how that was possible considering he was sitting up against the cave wall. He shook his head and carefully moved around to see how bad his injuries were. When he didn't meet with too much pain he attempted to sit up. A thin blanket he'd never seen before fell off of his torso and bunched up in his lap revealing some of his wounds. There was some strange green salve, that smelled aweful by the way, covering the ones he could see. He saw a bowl some distance away with the same green goop in it and knew without a doubt that he had never seen anything like it before. Naruto was surely full of surprises. Oddly enough sitting hadn't hurt in the slightest. His wounds were already healing into jagged scars. How? He stood up, thankful that he only felt dull twinges throughout his body. He used the blanket to cover naruto then stepped out to relieve himself. He was still wearing his boxers, but it was chilly and he really hoped that Naruto had and extra set of clothes. When he returned he merely sat and watched the blond sleep. Sasuke had never seen the other boy sleep before. When Sasuke went to sleep Naruto was awake, when Sasuke woke up Naruto was awake. This was a rare moment indeed. And of course it didn't last. Naruto's eyes fluttered briefly and then oppened abruptly to reveal deep blue eyes that were fully alert.

"You're up," he said sharply causing Sasuke to arch a brow. "How are you feeling?"

"Almost as good as new. What was the green stuff?"

"A topical ointment an old friend of mine taught me how to make. He was a doctor, but his true passion was creating newer and better medicines. I've found the ointment to come in handy."

"I can see why. Have I met him?"

"No. And you should count yourself lucky for that. Here," Naruto said, handing him some clothes along with a few pieces of dried and salted pork. "You're clothes were ruined so you can borrow mine. Eat up. We've got to get moving soon."

Sasuke did as he was told and found that Naruto had completely packed up before he had eaten the last bite. He stood up silently and followed the blond out. "How long were we there?" the pale boy asked.

"You first woke up the day after the incident. That was yesterday. So, between two and three days."

"Shit. Kakashi and Sakura will have moved on by now."

"That's why we're taking a shortcut straight to the second rendevouz point."

And so they did just that. Nearly twelve hours later, when it was thoroughly dark out, they stopped to make camp. Since Sasuke was still getting over his injuries it was difficult to hide his dizziness from Naruto which resulted in him sitting by the fire the blond had built and watching the quiet boy do all the work. He was extremely disgruntled.

"How old are you exactly Naruto?" Sasuke asked to keep himself occupied.

"Nineteen," Naruto responded promptly.

"You're pretty young. Sakura's already twenty-one and I'll be turning it soon. You're not originally from the village are you?"

"I was born there," Naruto answered curtly. "My parents died shortly after and I was raised by wolves. Jiraiya... found me... when I was nine and taught me many things. I rejoined the village three years later and passed the academy ninja exam. You know the rest from there."

"Wow. I had no idea. I'm sorry about your parents."

Naruto shook his head. "Life happens." He finally sat down next to Sasuke. "If we keep the pace we maintained today, we'll be at the rendevouz point just in the knick of time. You'll need your strength so drink this and get some sleep." He handed a cup of steaming liquid with "herbs" in it to the raven.

Sasuke grinned sheepishly and said, "Can you sing again? It really does help me relax."

Naruto shrugged and started doing as he asked while Sasuke downed the contents of the cup with a grimace and laid down.

"In you're ocean I'm ankle deep; I feel the waves crashing on my feet. It's like I know where I need to be, but I can't figure out, no I can't figure out: just how much air I will need to breathe, when your tide washes over me. There's only one way to figure out: will you let me drown? Will you let me drown? Hey now, this is my desire. Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just wasnt something beatuiful to touch me. I know that I'm in reach, 'cause I am down on my knees waiting for something beautiful. Oh-oh. Something beautiful. And the water is rising quick, and for years I was scared of it. We can't be sure when it will subside, so I won't leave your side. No, I can't leave your side." Naruto hummed the next chorus. "In a daydream I couldn't live like this. I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful. But when I wake up, and all I want, I have, you know it's still all I need - something beautiful." He hummed the chorus a few more times just for the hell of it, even though it wasn't necessary. The sleep-aid he'd given the older boy had kicked in around the second verse. Naruto closed his eyes and leaned against a tree while he waited for dawn to come around.


	2. Chapter 2

**Contains some strong content. Slight past rape.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Song is Concrete Angel by Martina McBride.**

**OOC. R&R.**

**Chapter Two. Sakura's POV**

Sakura stared intently at the place she was sure the others would shortly appear. "Kakashi-Sensei, I know it's almost sundown, but just give them a few more minutes."

"Sakura, we must start moving. I'm sorry."

"Just a few more minutes, please! I'm certain-"

"Did you miss us?" came a gravelly voice.

She turned around excitedly. "Sasuke! Naruto! I knew you'd be here in time!" She ran and hugged Sasuke then tentatively did the same to Naruto. She was surprised when he gingerly hugged her back.

"Sorry to worry you. We were in a bit of a mishap. By the time we'd left out it was too late to make the first rendevouz, so we cut a straight path here." Sasuke smiled apologetically.

"Well I guess if you were going to cut throught the forest I'm glad you had Naruto with you. He was trained for that kind of stuff," Kakashi said. "Any problems?" he asked Naruto. The boy shook his head.

"Were either of you injured in this 'little mishap'?" Sakura asked worriedly, using her fingers to make air quotes. Naruto crossed his arms and turned his head to look lazily into the distance, clearly giving off a disinterested vibe... then inconspicuously raised an index finger and pointed it at Sasuke. Sakura began fussing over him immediately.

"Snitch," Sasuke muttered and she saw Naruto smirk. Louder he said, "I'm fine Sakura. Really. Look." He pulled up his shirt and showed her his fresh scars.

Sakura was stunned. She reached out and touched one gently then looked up at him. "How? These wounds should have been fatal. Even I couldn't have healed them this well," she whispered.

"Naruto put some strange ointment on them and healed them most of the way in the first twenty-four hours. Then he gave me something to drink last night and tada, good as new."

She looked at Naruto in surprise. "I didn't know you knew any medical stuff. I've never heard of anything like that. Would you teach me?" she asked politely. He nodded.

"Your attackers?" Kakashi asked quietly. Naruto was suddenly tense and he gave a jerky nod. "It's not your fault. Your particular training just comes with a few drawbacks. It was Sasuke's blood that did it, right?" Another nod and a shaky shrug. Naruto tapped Sakura on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow him. Kakashi sighed.

Sakura followed Naruto and watched him search until he found a viney plant hiding under a bush, saw him remove it by the root and then show it to her. She studied it while she followed him for a good fifteen minutes until they found a stream and then worked their way against the current, coming to a small pond maybe five minutes later. She watched him look around the rocks surrounding the pond and then he presented her with a pretty golden flower. He handed it to her and went back to searching. When he produced a toad she watched with increasing curiosity. He took the flower from her and slimed it up on the amphibian's back. He let the toad go and gathered a couple of flat rocks before sitting on the grass near the stream. She sat as well. He placed the first plant on one of the rocks and used the other rock to crush it into a powder. She watched in fascination as he dipped his fingers in the water and let them drip onto the powder. He then proceeded to pull the petals off of the flower and began crushing them up, all the while chewing the leftover bulb of pollen. When that was done he spit the pollen into the concoction and got out his knife. She flinched slightly as he sliced one of his fingertips open and let exactly ten drops of blood fall on the paste. Finally, he used his knife to mash it all up together. When he was finished he put some on his finger and handed the rest to her, which she carefully stored in one of the small containers she always carried around with her.

"That's amazing. What about the drink you made him?" He pointed to the water. "Boil water?" He nodded and took her to a tree, pointed to a plant near its roots. "I know that one. It's a sleep aid." Another nod. He then pointed to a beehive and next to the ointment. "The honey reacts with this to speed up the process?" she guessed. He smiled in confirmation. "Thanks so much Naruto." He shrugged and led the way back. They headed out, only stopping to make camp the next night. Sakura cooked a large dinner since they hadn't eaten in a while. They all dug in happily.

"God Sakura, this is so good." Sakura froze. She'd never heard that voice before. She whipped her head around to stare at Naruto. "It's been so long since our last mission together that I was starting to dream about your cooking because I missed it so much," he said with a throaty laugh.

"Y-you're talking!" she exclaimed.

"Apparently he does that sometimes. I told him he should do it with us more often," Sasuke informed her. He was blushing slightly as he laid out his sleeping bag. "Sorry Naruto, but do you mind? I've gotten used to it."

She had no idea what that cryptic little question meant, but it had definately made Naruto blush as well. He looked nervously at first her then Kakashi, then sat back against a tree and took a deep breath.

"She walks to school with the lunch she packed. Nobody knows what she's holding back. Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday. She hides the bruises with the linen and lace, oh." Sakura didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't for him to start singing. And she definitely hadn't expected him to be so good. She found herself listening intently. "The teacher wonders, but she doesn't ask. It's hard to see the pain behind the mask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm. Sometimes she wishes she was never born. Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above. But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved; concrete angel. Somebody cries in the middle of the night. The neighbors hear, but they turn out the light. A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate. When morning comes it will be too late." Sakura was lulled by the next chorus and tucked into her sleeping bag. She saw Sasuke slip into dreamland. She yawned as he started the next part of the song. No wonder Sasuke had gotten used to it. "A statue stands in a shady place. An angel girl with an upturned face. A name is written on a polished rock. A broken heart that the world forgot..."

**Naruto's POV.**

By the end of the last chorus Kakashi was the only one still awake. He was avidly staring at Naruto. "Well you seem to be full of surprises lately. First medical knowledge that surpasses even Sakura, now singing. Is there anything you can't do?" Kakashi teased, though he was half serious.

"Shut up," Naruto grumbled. There was a moment's hesitation before he said, "I need to ask you something, but Sasuke says it's awkward and that you're the best person to ask."

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, his curiosity evident.

"What is sex?"

Kakashi visibly deflated. "Uh, well, it's, um, how you make a baby." Naruto knew he still looked puzzled. Kakashi scratched his head. "Well, there are a lot of ways to do it, but there's a general principle to it. You put slot 'A' into slot 'B'. Here." Kakashi handed him a copy of Makeout Paradise.

Naruto skimmed through it. "Does it make a baby every time?"

"No. Most people do it for fun, and there are ways to keep from getting pregnant."

"What about two guys?"

"They can't get pregnant."

"No, I mean, how do they...?"

"Oh, um, well they..." Kakashi cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "They use the back entrance," he said, pointing at a picture to emphasize his meaning.

Naruto shot to his feet in horror. "Why would anyone do that for fun? It hurts, and it makes you bleed, and you can't walk right for days afterward!" he fumed.

"Did that happen to you, Naruto?" Kakashi asked gently.

"Every damn week for years!" he ground out.

"Naruto, that's called rape, not sex. Sex doesn't feel like that. It only feels that way if they're _trying_ to hurt you," he explained quietly.

"Oh," Naruto murmured and sat down in relief. "So Neji and Gaara aren't hurting each other?"

"No."

Naruto sighed gratefully. "Good." There was a moment of silence.

"Naruto? Where were you when that happened to you?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

Naruto sighed again, though this one was heavier. "When I was six years old i was captured and take to a place called The Foundation. When I was deemed feral and they realized I didn't even know I was part of their species let alone understand what they were saying they decided not to waste their resources trying to civilize me. Instead they used me as a research subject. It was the lead scientist who... Anyway. It was there that I met Kabuto, a kind doctor who likes to invent new and better medicines, who is currently working as a double agent. Jiraiya had heard rumors of the secret society and broke into the research facility I was being held in. He liberated me; I was nine at the time. There were three people there who realized that I understood deliberate physical actions and sought to help me: Kabuto who taught me medicine, Sai who taught me expression through pictures and objects, and Sai's brother Shin who taught me words. Sai gave me a piece of paper and showed me how to hide it shortly before I was rescued. It was a letter for me for when I learned how to read so that I would understand why I was there. It also happened to be the information Jiraiya needed.

"The Foundation is a secret faction working within, and unbeknownst to, the government our country recognizes. They are working to create an army of super soldiers in an attempt to rule first the country, then the continent, and eventually to dominate the world. The mastermind and head of the organization, Danzo, is currently working under the Fifth Hokage; keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. He and a few of the 'higher ups' in the village have been transpiring to commit attrocities for decades and have been lulled into a false sense of security that no one has made the connection. Lady Tsunade intends to keep it that way until she feels the time is right.

"Danzo's co-conspirator, Orochimaru, is in charge of 'finding' prospective candidates for the program. He remains in the background, but he's every bit the founder and leader as Danzo. He is the one who brought the idea as well as the research aspect to the table. He founded a smaller group to help with prospect hunting, but with the knowledge they gained of my power as a Jinchuriki host they formed their own plans and split off to form their own organization. They call themselves the Akatsuki. Same goal, different reasons, different means of accomplishing it. They are hunting and collecting tailed beasts in the hopes of restoring the Ten Tails. And there you have it. Three opposing forces fighting a silent war that the general population is unaware of. You now know about as much as the Hokage."

"The idea will take some getting used to, but hopefully I'll turn out to be of some use. Thank you for telling me. For now we should sleep; we have a long journey tomorrow," Kakashi said and immediatly fell asleep. Unfortunately it took Naruto much, much longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**OOC. R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**A/N: I can't get it to keep my indentations so it looks a little crammed. Sorry guys. Also, I know it's just a filler, but bear with me. We learn a few interesting things in this chapter anyway.**

**Chapter Three. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke hadn't slept last night. He'd been floating in a state of near unconsciousness, lulled there by Naruto's incredible singing, when he'd heard his name and had instantly become alert. Naruto's reaction to Kakashi's explanation had both shocked and saddened him, and his story had caused him a restless night indeed. He shook his head to clear it when he realized they'd reached their destination.

"Lord Kazekage," Naruto was saying with a slight bow.

The Kazekage raised an eyebrow. "Lord Hokage," he said with the same formality.

Sasuke saw that Naruto was grinding his teeth and turned to Sakura with a questioning look. She looked just as confused. They turned to Kakashi who pointedly ignored them.

"Gaara," Naruto growled warningly through his teeth.

"Naruto," Gaara replied innocently. Naruto sighed in exasperation. "We are friends Naruto, and I prefer not to dwell on titles. Knowing your situation I don't understand your lack of willingness to humor me."

"I'm just showing you respect," Naruto mumbled.

"I'd rather have your friendship than your respect," Gaara replied gently. He turned to the others. "Please, make yourselves at home. Naruto and I have need of a private discussion."

And with that the two of them disappeared into the building directly behind them. Sakura and Sasuke followed Kakashi. "Alright Kakashi, spill. Why'd he call Naruto 'Hokage'?" Sasuke demanded.

Kakashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because he is."

There was a stunned pause and then the two exploded. "What?" they shouted in unison.

"The Feudal Lord of the land of Fire has long known of Naruto's special relationship with the Third Hokage. When the Third died, he appointed Naruto the Fifth. At the time I knew that he'd concocted a plan surrounding one of his many secrets and Jiraiya was offered the position of pretending to be the Hokage while Naruto worked behind the scenes. It would, after all, draw attention if a thirteen year old boy became the Hokage. Jiraiya declined, so they brought in Tsunade."

"At the time?" Sakura questioned.

"I've recently learned more about the matter."

"But last night he clearly referred to Tsunade as- " He stopped short as he saw Kakashi's glare and realized he'd given himself away. He shifted uncomfortably.

"No, Mr. Eavesdropper, he did not. He referred to Tsunade as Lady Tsunade and was referring to himself when he used the title. And if I ever hear a word of last night's conversation come out of your mouth again I'll kill you myself. That is top secret information that could devestate the Fire Nation if the wrong people got ahold of it."

Sasuke murmured an apology. "So they really made a genin the Hokage?" Sakura inquired.

"Actually he gained the title of chunin by general consensus before he was given the title and the Feudal Lord bumped him up to jonin by recommendation of the Raikage and Mizukage. He had already surpassed jonin level by that age anyway."

"How?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Jiraiya taught him how to speak, read and write, but he also put him through intense survival training and, per Naruto's request, trained him to be an assassin."

**Naruto's POV.**

"Neji sends his love and once again asks that you request his transfer," Naruto said.

Gaara sighed. "He's so stubborn."

"He loves you," Naruto reminded him gently.

"And I love him, but I will not be the reason that he says goodbye to his friends and family. Not only that, but he is an asset to the village and I will not deprive you of him Naruto."

"His friends are hurting more than helping at the moment. And you know as well as I do that in his eyes you are his most important family memeber," Naruto responded calmly.

"How are his friends hurting him?" Gaara asked, trying to hide his faint blush.

"Shikamaru and Temari are married, and I might add that she was an asset to your village before the union, and he has to see the woman he considers his sister living his dream every single day. Add to that the fact that his teamate Rock Lee is married to Sakura, Lee's lifelong dream, and his cousin Hinata is getting cozier day by day with Kiba, who she has loved forever. Top it all off with the fact that you barely get to see each other despite the fact that you've been together longer than any of the other couples and you've got one very depressed Hyuga."

Gaara looked torn. "I had no idea he felt like that," he whispered.

"I know. Which is why I took the liberty of making your mind up for you. Before I left I told him to pack his life up and haul ass out here because I was reassigning him to the Hidden Sand. He should be here in roughly three days time. I'm entrusting you with his care."

Gaara was momentarily astonished. When he finally snapped out of it he pulled Naruto into a tight hug. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, let's talk about the Akatsuki."

They spent the night there, though Sasuke had trouble sleeping without Naruto's singing, then left out early the next day. They traveled until nightfall then set up camp. Naruto was just about to indulge Sasuke with a song when they heard someone approaching. One of the Sand ninja's stood before them panting.

"Lord Gaara -pant- kidnapped -pant- Akatsuki!"

That was all it took to incite action. "Kakashi! Summon Pakkun," Naruto ordered. When the dog appeared he turned to it and said, "Neji, Ten-Ten and Lee are about two days away from here. If they push themselves they can cut that time in half. Inform them of the situation then head to the village. Send Gai and Temari on their way, then bring Tsunade up to speed." Pakkun nodded and left.

They left out immediately and managed to make it back to the village by dawn. It didn't surprise him that Gaara had taken up an active defense of his people. What did surprise him was that he'd lost. What surprised him the most was that when they got back Kankuro was in the process of dying because even Lady Chio had no cure for that particular poison. Sakura was forced to call upon all of her training and all of Naruto's extra medical knowledge to save him. By the time they were finished it was nearly midnight and Neji had arrived. He was trying to appear calm and collected for his teamates, but everyone could easily see the misery in his eyes.

"Please allow me to participate in the rescue," he quietly begged Naruto.

"Of course Neji. I never even thought of asking you stay behind. We leave out as soon as Gai is here and ready to go."

"Thank you," he whispered and slid down the wall with his face in his hands. Naruto sat on the floor next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder in comfort. He didn't once leave Neji's side. Gai and Temari arrived a little after noon and Sakura immediately took Temari to see her brother. Gai approached Neji.

"I know it's hard, but try to pull yourself together Neji. I want the three of you ready to move out in fifteen minutes."

Neji jumped up. "Yes Sensei!" Lee and Ten-Ten nodded and went to suit up with Neji.

"Are you sure you're able to leave out so soon Gai?" Kakashi asked.

"I"m fine. The longer we wait, the worse the outcome could be."

"I agree," Temari said as she re-entered the "waiting room". "And I'm going with you."

"I'm afraid that can't happen, Temari. The Hidden Sand needs a protector as well as a leader at a time like this, and with Gaara and Kankuro out for the count I'm afraid that burden falls to your shoulders. I'm sorry," Naruto explained.

"I understsand, Godaime." She bowed deeply to Naruto and tried not to show her frustration.

"What did you call him?" Ten-Ten, who had just returned, gasped. Neji rubbed his forehead impatiently.

"Yeah, and when did you start talking Naruto?" Lee inquired politely.

"I'm most certainly coming," Chio interrupted as she walked into the room. Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"Why does Temari know when we didn't?" Sasuke demanded, breaking the silence.

"Enough!" Naruto bellowed and everyone shut up once again. "Ten-Ten: she called me exactly what you think she called me, and she did it because that's what I am. Lee: I've been speaking since Jiraiya and Shin taught me when I was nine, I just don't like to do it when it's not necessary. Sasuke: Shikamaru, Temari's husband, is a very trusted high-ranking jonin who takes part in the running of the village and is therefore privy to the information; he keeps no secrets from his wife." He took a deep breath before turning to the eternally grumpy elder and bowing respectfully. "Of course, Lady Chio. Sasori is your grandson and I'm sure we'd benefit from your presence. Now, I think we've wasted enough time. Everybody move out."


	4. Chapter 4

**Less OOC. R&R Please. **

**Allusion to strong subjects.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Four. Naruto's POV.**

The journey hadn't taken long at all. They'd quickly caught up to the two Akatsuki members. Deidara had taunted him with a "Long time no see!" and taken off in one direction while Sasori tried to trap them in the cave. Neji and his team were currently fighting themselves while Sakura, Sasuke and Chio were busy battling Sasori. Naruto and Kakashi were following the blond who had Gaara. Kakashi had stopped moving and hidden in a tree somewhere, so Naruto was seperately trying to slow Deidara down.

"Just give up Deidara. We're going to catch you soon either way!" he called to the man in the sky.

Deidara laughed. "So it talks now? How interesting. You know what I was just thinking Naruto? I was thinking about how sad Itachi will be when I tell him he missed out on the chance to say hello to his little brother. What do you think?"

"What do you know about Itachi?" Naruto asked sharply.

"That's for me to know little test subject," Deidara taunted with a chuckle.

Naruto fumed and made to attack the stupid blond when suddenly Deidara's arm was sucked into oblivion and he took off furiously. "What the - ?"

"Damn. I missed," Kakashi cursed, suddenly at Naruto's side again.

"You did that? How?"

"I've been practicing with my sharingan."

"Awesome." A few more minutes of pointless chasing had Naruto at the boiling point and despite his efforts to supress it his nine-tails made an appearance. Kakashi didn't try to stop it because it served their purpose. Naruto lunged at the other blond who was busy trying to dodge Kakashi. His shadow clones worked to free Gaara while his main body wrestled with Deidara. He was up to three tails and easily pounding him into the ground when one of his clones rejoined him. The knowledge that Gaara was dead had been absorbed along with the clone and with an anguished howl his fourth tail emerged and he lost consciousness. When he came to, Deidara was in a broken heap beneath him, wheezing and coughing up blood. Kakashi had used one of the paper seals Jiraiya had given him to supress the nine-tails.

"Any last words?" Naruto asked coldly.

"Itachi is -cough- my -cough- friend. I-I -cough- don't want him to -cough- die. Tell Sasuke -cough- he was ordered -cough- to do it -

cough- by Danzo in exchange -cough- for Sasuke's -cough- life -wheeze-. Itachi loves -cough- his brother. He -cough- would do -cough- anything for him..." Deidara's voice faded away as his eyes glazed over.

Naruto turned to Kakashi, eyes haunted. "You will tell no one what you have just heard. And I need you to train me when we get back to the village. It's time I completed the Rasengan." Naruto knew Kakashi wondered why he could not tell Sasuke, and perhaps even thought he was trying to cover it up, but in fact he was already making plans to get Itachi back before Sasuke could do anything risky. Just then a cry of agony froze the blood in his veins. He turned to see Neji cradling Gaara, rocking back and forth, trying desperately to wake him up. Tears streamed down Neji's face and Naruto felt his own tears make their way down his cheeks.

Scrubbing at his eyes he said, "It's not fair. People turn us into weapons and then treat us like outcasts. We're meant to be studied and used, but never to belong. We have to fight all our lives just to get people to realize that we're just like everybody else and we hurt too. And even after all the progress he made there were still selfish bastards out there who only wanted to use him for the weapon inside. And he paid for something he had no control over with his life. He was a person dammit!" The last part of it came out more as a howl than any kind of normal speech. Kakashi reached out to comfort him when a voice broke in.

"You're right young man. He was a person. And he did grow up with everyone automatically against him. He did have no control over it, and despite all that he managed to earn the love and respect of many people. It took longer than it should have for me to see that. Gaara used to be dangerous, and everyone feared him. Until he met you. That's when he changed. You have some kind of power that makes people want to be like you. And so Gaara tried, and he succeeded. I was partially responsible for him becoming a Jinchuriki, so I will try to make up for that right now if I can muster up enough chakra. Stand aside young one," she murmured to Neji as she approached the Kazekage. Neji reluctantly let go. The old woman got down on her knees before the lifeless red head and placed her hands over him the way Sakura and Tsunade did when trying to heal someone. Naruto found himself wondering if the woman was losing it in her old age; even he knew you couldn't heal the dead. A blue light glowed from her hands and the strain of it caused her to shake. She held on as long as she could, but the light began to dim.

"You can use mine," Neji offered hoarsely. He held his hands out to her.

"No boy. You haven't enough." She gritted her teeth and poured every last ounce she had into it, but it too began to fade. She coughed.

"Then use mine," Naruto said quietly and placed his hands over hers. Instantly the blue light was back and larger than ever. Chio looked at him with obvious curiosity.

"You're not afraid to die?" she asked peacefully.

"No. Death is just another adventure. Trust me, I've seen it. In some ways it's even preferable. But if it's chakra you need I have plenty to go around, so it makes sense either way."

"Thank you, for telling me. And yes, it is chakra, but it's something else as well. Lifeforce."

He nodded and focused, began pouring what he had to offer into her. "Take whatever you need."

"There are too few people in this world like you, Naruto. Don't change and don't ever give up. We need more like you in this world. I only wish I had been like you. Perhaps this will make up for it." She was whispering by the time she finished talking and the light began fading again. Only this time she closed her eyes and the light disappeared as though it never existed. Naruto fell onto his butt, exhausted and a little dizzy, and saw Sakura catch Chio as she too fell. He looked at Gaara and saw his chest move up and down. With a smile he passed out.

**Gaara's POV.**

Gaara was watching a small red haired child sit on the sidelines while the other children played. Everytime he tried to play something went wrong. People always looked at him with disdain and his own father tried to have him killed even though he was only six years old. His uncle had died by his hands during an assassination attempt. Who was this poor boy who stood in a corner and cried, wishing that someone, anyone, would just look at him with kindness? Wishing that somebody would love him. He looked down at his hands. Where am I? What's my name? He saw a face he thought he should recognize, one that made his heart clench. Heard a name being called.

"Gaara! Gaara come back. Everyone's waiting for you. Open your eyes!" The voice was warm and comforting. The child he'd been watching suddenly looked up at that voice with hopeful eyes. He watched as the boy seemed to change, his face taking on a peaceful expression and his mouth curling into a smile. A blond boy around the same age appeared in front of the boy. "There you are Gaara. I found you." He reached out and grasped the red headed boy's hand. They both smiled at each other. And suddenly there was a hand in his hand too. And when he followed it up to see the face of the person who had gotten close enough to touch him... he opened his eyes and saw Naruto's smiling face. Neji was there too, crying and laughing and pulling him into an almost painful hug. "Everyone has been waiting for you Gaara," Naruto whispered and stepped back to motion to the crowd behind him. At least half the village was here!

"Thank you Naruto, Neji," he whispered, hugging them both.

"It was Lady Chio that did it," Naruto admitted quietly. "She gave up her life to bring you back. Took a fair chunk of mine too." Naruto laughed and Gaara felt the sadness he'd started to feel at his words lift. He sent a silent thank you to Lady Chio and had Neji help him stand.

Matsuri was at the front of the cheering crowd looking at him with relieved tears. "Gaara-sama! I'm so glad you're okay!" she sobbed as she tried in vain to dry her face. Kankuro and Temari embraced him with joyful smiles and the crowd continued to yell out to him. He didn't know how, but somehow he'd managed to turn the tables. Everyone was here because they wanted to be and he liked that just fine. He headed home with everyone and held a beautiful funeral for Lady Chio. He got things back to normal in his work place and then said goodbye to Naruto.

"We have to be going now. I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but it looks like you have everything under control," Naruto apologized.

Gaara smiled tenderly at him. "Thank you Naruto. For everything." He held his hand out to Naruto. For some reason the blond looked stunned, but slowly he raised his hand and wrapped it around Gaara's.

"Thank you, my friend." He turned away looking confident and Gaara watched him go.

He turned to Neji. "Have I told you yet how sorry I am for being so stupid and trying to keep you somewhere you didn't want to be?" he asked quietly.

Neji smiled and held him close, tucking his short red hair under his chin. "No, but I forgive you anyways. I'm here now. That's all that counts." He kissed him softly and rubbed their noses together. "I love you Gaara."

"I love you too Neji. In fact," he said, getting a mischevous look in his eyes, "I'm going to show you just how much I love you as soon as we get back to our chambers, which will be in about two minutes."

Neji chuckled and eagerly led the way. Gaara couldn't help the feeling of absolute peace that flowed over him, just as he couldn't stop the smile that was spread wide across his soft features. Their bedroom door closed behind them and he allowed Neji to lead him to the bed, push him onto it. He laughed with unbelievable joy that everything was finally going right and gave himself to the pleasure his lover was creating.


	5. Restricted Chapter 1

**BoyxBoy! Don't like, don't read. This is rated MA, for eighteen and older only. **

***Restricted Chapter* YAOI! Neji's POV.**

Neji pushed Gaara onto the canopy bed and smiled at his joyful laughter. He quickly pulled the redhead's shirt off and tossed it aside. He stared down at the beautifully sculpted chest hungrily and reached out to tweak a nipple. Gaara's laugh turned into a moan as his back arched off the bed. Slowly Neji leaned down and sucked on his nipple only pausing momentarily to switch to the other side. When he was finished a very flushed, very delectable looking young man lay breathless beneath him. "I've missed you so much. Don't you ever scare me like that again."

Gaara caressed his cheek tenderly. "I'll try not to. I've missed you too, Love." Gaara leaned up and kissed the brunette passionately. His fingers moved to take Neji's shirt off and the older boy raised up slightly to make it easier. Their bare chests were touching now and Neji couldn't help but let out a soft moan. Gaara smiled beautifully and he attacked his mouth. The younger boy didn't seem to mind the nipping and sucking; on the contrary he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. His hips lifted against the brunette's and Neji groaned as a shudder wracked his body. He worked at Gaara's pants with shaky fingers, finally managing to unfasten them and shove them down. Gaara kicked a little to free himself from the material around his ankles then started working on Neji's pants. This time the sensation of skin on skin made both of them catch their breaths. Gaara lunged upward again and the intaimate caress broke Neji's control.

He reached between them and wrapped his long, elegent fingers roughly around Gaara's manhood then started pumping. The other man made noises that he tried desperately to muffle with his fist. "Neji! I haven't had you in months! If you keep this up I'm going to-!" He cried out as Neji picked up the pace and his ass came up off the bed. Neji slid down and took Gaara into his mouth. Gaara let out something close to a scream and gripped the sheets tightly, trying to hold on for dear life. He didn't manage to hold on for long though. When Neji stopped sucking to swirl his tongue around the head Gaara came hard, spurting into the other's mouth. Neji swallowed then moved up to settle over him. He kissed him passionately.

"Suck," Neji commanded gently as he presented Gaara with two of his fingers. Gaara did as he was told even though he was so relaxed he could barely keep his eyes open. Or so he thought until his eyes snapped wide open as Neji stuck first one finger and then another inside him, moving around to loosen him up. He realized this wasn't over and his body quickly readied for the next round. Neji saw his lover's cock stir and smiled devilishly. He made sure Gaara wasn't so tight that it would hurt him and then slowly started to enter him. Gaara held onto the sheets again as though his life depended on it and wrapped his legs around Neji's waist, arching his back as he did. Neji pushed in to the hilt and then stayed there for a moment letting Gaara get used to it. The warm tightness surrounding him was nearly enough to undo him in and of itself, but when Gaara moved upward pushing him in even farther he had to grit his teeth to remain in control. He started moving and the boy he'd loved for so long made those sexy little whimpering noises that sent shivers down his spine. He started out slow, looking into the Jade eyes he dreamed of every single night and he let the other see how much he truly meant to him. Gaara stared into the pale violet eyes he'd loved since he'd first seen them during the chunin exams and found himself transfixed. The love and adoration he saw there, the raw need and the blatant desire, it was enough to push him over the edge again. He came yelling Neji's name and holding the brunette as tightly as he possibly could.

Neji felt Gaara's inner muscles milk him as his cum spilled onto his stomach and got them both extremely sticky. Both factors caused him to finally break and he filled Gaara completely. He held the younger boy just as tightly as the redhead was clinging to him, and settled them more comfortably on the bed. He kissed the beautiful boy's temple and nuzzled his neck. "I love you Gaara," he whispered.

"I love you my Neji," the younger boy whispered back as he snuggled into the brunettes chest and drifted off to sleep. Neji felt him relax completely and heard his breathing even out, and with a smile he joined his love in a contented slumber.


	6. Chapter 5

**OOC. R&R Please. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**A/N: The title **_**is**_**Music**** in the Shadows, so of course there has to be karaoke. :)**

**Chapter Five. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke approached slowly through the trees, watching as a half naked Naruto attempted to cut a waterfall with his bare hands. He'd been training since they returned to the village. His back was straining, accentuating the muscles there, and Sasuke felt a strange twinge of attraction. He stopped and cocked his head to the side curiously examining the feeling. He wasn't normally attracted to anyone, but he'd never even considered he might have feelings for a boy. Oddly enough, the idea didn't disturb him nearly as much as he thought it would. He found himself wondering what it would be like to be with another guy. He smiled at his unusual thoughts and shook his head to clear it. He was here on a mission: recruit Naruto for karaoke night. It was a plan concocted by Sakura and Ino to bring Naruto more firmly into the group, and he was the messenger. He slowly made his way over to where Kakashi and some guy he'd come to know as Yamato were sitting and watching. Yamato was in charge of using his powers to keep Naruto's seal from breaking under the strain of the training. Apparently the necklace Naruto always wore allowed the strange man to control Kyuubi's outbursts.

"Hey Sasuke," Kakashi said cheerfully, "what brings you here today?"

"I'm supposed to be distracting Naruto from his training," he admitted. "Sakura thinks he needs a break and wants him to do karaoke with the rest of us."

"I could use a break too, Kakashi," Yamato interjected.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "It is a good idea. He's been working too hard in my opinion and he won't tell me why. I woke up at five this morning to find him at it alone." Kakashi shook his head in exasperation. "But he has that look of determination on his face and I find myself just going along with it. I guess it's time I put my foot down." He turned to face Naruto and yelled, "Naruto! Come down here! You have a visitor!"

Naruto turned around and Sasuke once again felt a stirring of longing at the sight of Naruto's bare chest. He wasn't overly muscular, but he was well defined and it suited him. Sasuke watched him release his shadow clone jutsu and come down from the log he'd been on in a perfect dive. He surfaced from the water and walked over to them shaking the water from his hair. "Hey Sasuke. What's up?"

"Well, I'm here to recruit you for Sakura. She wants you to come do karaoke with us tonight," he explained with a friendly smile. He watched Naruto's brows furrow and saw the look of hesitation on his face. "Hinata will be there, and Shikamaru too," he added, trying to wipe that sad expression from his face.

"I guess I'll give it a try. What time?" he asked, biting his lip in indecision.

"Seven o'clock. I'll meet you at your place at six thirty and we can walk over together." Sasuke smiled reassuringly. It pained him to see the worry in his teamate's eyes, and he knew that he was self conscious even though he had no reason to be. "It'll be fun, you'll see."

"I guess. Well, I have to get back to training. I'll see you at six thirty." Sasuke watched him retreat back to his log and sighed.

"He's very shy, isn't he?"

"He hasn't had a lot of acceptance, so naturally crowds aren't his thing. He'll go for Sakura though. He sees her as a sister and doesn't like to upset her," Kakashi said and sighed as well. "Hopefully he'll learn to open up more. I was extremely surprised when he talked to you two, but to have him sing in front of people he's not very aquainted with is something else entirely. He enjoys his singing, he's told me so, and the thought of being judged for something he likes so much is terrifying to him."

_I'm not really used to singing in front of people._ Naruto had said that to Sasuke in the cave, his tone nervous and his smile shaky. He realized now that he must love it a lot to be so worried about it. "He has nothing to worry about. His voice is amazing."

"I'll agree with that. He sings in his office a lot. And yes, he has an office. It's connected to Tsunade's so that she can easily slip him paperwork."

"Huh. Well I better get going. Make him go home and start getting ready at five thirty and I'll take him to Ichiraku's first so that he can calm his nerves some."

"Good idea. I'll do that." Kakashi and Yamato both smiled at him and waved him off.

Sasuke went to find Sakura who was talking with Ino outside the medical building. "I talked to Naruto. He said he'll come. According to Kakashi he's insecure about his singing because he likes to sing and doesn't want his favorite activity to be judged the way his other actions are," he told Sakura quietly.

She looked sad. "He shouldn't worry about it. He sings beautifully."

"That's what I said." He saw Ino's interest.

"You've heard him sing before?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. He sang to me while I was injured and didn't realize I heard him. It was so soothing I made him do it every night while we were traveling. He got comfortable around us, but that's because we appreciated his talents. I admit I haven't been sleeping as well since we got back," he admitted ruefully.

"Me either," Sakura agreed. They all laughed.

"I can't wait to hear it if it's that good," Ino stated with a grin.

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to hearing it again myself. I bet that's why Sakura chose karaoke. Well I'm going to go home for the time being. See you guys tonight."

He headed to his place, walked straight to his room and fell face first onto the bed. He stayed there like that for a good fifteen minutes or so before he accepted that sleep was refusing him at the moment and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Was he starting to like Naruto as more than a friend? The thought was more than a little appealing he realized. Naruto had admitted to being gay, so that wasn't a problem. However, he'd also said he was in love with somebody. Would that keep him from being in other relationships? Would he really want to be in a relationship where he might be able to feel more than just affection for someone who had already given their heart away? He frowned. He knew it would be easy to fall for someone like Naruto, especially if things turned sexual. Did he really want to take that risk? He decided he didn't and sighed in disappointment. Throwing his arm over his eyes he tried to forget about this weird attraction and pretend he wasn't considering tonight's little ramen sidestop as a date. It was very difficult. He remembered how Naruto had looked with his shirt off and groaned. Well, even if he wasn't going to do anything about it he could at least fantasize, right?

**Naruto's POV.**

Naruto would be lying to himself he said he wasn't nervous about tonight. He was willing to bet that there would be more people there than Sasuke had told him about and he didn't like that one bit. He'd focused on his training to drown out the anxiety, but then Kakashi made him go home at five thirty and he'd been stressing ever since. He had changed into black cargo pants and an orange T-shirt with his crest on the right near his sleeve. Now he was just laying on his bed wishing he had said no. But it was Sasuke who'd asked and he found that even when his personal comfort was jeopardized he couldn't say no to him. He grimaced as he once again thought about singing in front of people. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. He looked at the clock and saw that he still had half an hour left before slowly getting up to see who was at the door. It was Sasuke, wearing his usual white pants and navy blue shirt and smiling the biggest smile he'd ever seen grace his face.

"Hey Sasuke, what's up?" he asked in confusion.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go get some ramen beforehand. My treat," he added persuasively.

Naruto grinned and shoved his feet into his shoes. "Sure. Thanks." Sasuke just nodded in response and they walked in silence for a few minutes.

When they were almost there Sasuke said, "I'm a little nervous about tonight. I like to sing, but I'm not the greatest."

Naruto sighed in relief that he wasn't the only one. "Me too. Though I'm more than a little nervous. I became the Hokage at thirteen! You'd think I could sing to an audiance. It's just, well, I don't really know if I'm any good because I don't ever do it in front of people and I already get second looks. I don't want something so important to me to have the fun taken out of it. I just sing for me, because I like it. Does that make sense?"

"It does. But trust me, you have nothing to worry about. You have a great voice."

Naruto felt himself blushing. "Thanks," he mumbled and they finally reached their destination. They ate in a companionable silence and he felt himself relaxing. How could he not with Sasuke giving him reassuring smiles? They got up to leave and Sasuke left a few bills on the table, not bothering to get his change. Naruto saw that he'd left a generous tip. He smiled happily and followed the older boy out of the small restaurant. When they got to the karaoke place he felt his butterflies kick up again, and when he saw all the people there he nearly turned around and ran. He took deep breaths and continued to walk calmly.

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura said excitedly.

"Hello Naruto. I hear you've been training a lot lately. We'll have to spar again soon. I'm getting rusty because Kiba won't fight me," Hinata said with a gentle smile. Naruto smiled at her and nodded. He found himself wishing that Gaara and Neji were also here, but he was glad for Hinata's presence all the same.

"Hey Naruto. Saturday okay for another game?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto nodded eagerly to him. He loved playing shogi with Shikamaru, and the other boy had told him he returned the sentiment because Naruto was the only one who could beat him.

Sasuke stepped closer to him so that he could speak without the others hearing and said, "You might as well talk already. They're going to hear you sing after all."

Sasuke was right. Naruto took a deep breath. "I'd love to play shogi on Saturday Shikamaru. And Hinata, how about Friday evening for a sparring match? Oh, and have you heard from Neji? And thanks for inviting me Sakura." Everyone who wasn't used to this stared.

Temari smirked and whacked Shikamaru lightly over the head. "See. I told you he can talk." Everyone laughed and the tension disappeared. Naruto felt himself laughing along with them.

"So. Who's first?" Sakura asked.

"You're idea, you first," Lee said with a grin. She sighed.

"Fine." She stepped up on the stage to pick her song and Naruto relaxed. Maybe tonight would be fun.


	7. Chapter 6

**R&R Please. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Songs are: Toxic by Britney Spears, I'll Be (Your Crying Shoulder) by Goo Goo Dolls, Crash and Burn by Savage Garden, Like a Stone by Audioslave, I Can Feel You Breathe by Faith Hill, Over my Head by The Fray, Vanilla Twilight by Owl City, Love the Way You Lie by Eminem ft. Rihanna, Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas, and Hero of War by Rise Against. **

**Chapter Six. Iruka's POV.**

Iruka watched as Naruto took a seat while Sakura chose a song. She finally chose "Toxic" by Britney Spears and the lyrics drifted over to him.

"With a taste of your lips I'm on a ride. You're toxic, I'm slipping under. The taste of a poison paradise. I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic?" She actually wasn't half bad. When Kakashi had told him that Naruto would be here tonight he couldn't resist coming to watch. He'd taken Naruto in whenever Jiraiya was away, which was often, and had come to think of him as a son. He'd heard him sing before and knew it was nothing to laugh at, so he'd decided to have a nice dinner with Kakashi and watch his boy at work. Even if Naruto didn't know, Iruka was determined to be here to offer his support.

"I'm so proud of him," Iruka said happily.

Kakashi smiled at him from under his face mask. "Me too. He's progressed greatly just since our last mission. Do you think he'll actually get up there and sing?"

"If Sasuke does, yes. You know how he feels about him. He doesn't want him to see him as weak in any way." Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Thank you for agreeing to this. I know you'd probably prefer a private dinner," Iruka said quietly.

Kakashi covered his hand with his. "As long as I'm with you I don't care where we are. And besides, I've heard Naruto sing before. I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear it again." They both laughed at that. Sakura's song ended and they listened to see who'd go next. It was decided that Lee would since he was Sakura's husband and had volunteered her first in the first place.

"The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful stop me and steal my breath. Emeralds from mountains and thrust towards the sky never revealing their depth. Tell me that we belong together. Dress it up with the trappings of love. I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above." They heard Sakura giggle. Lee was a little tone deaf, but he didn't sound all that bad. No one was wincing at least.

When Lee's song ended they chose Ten-Ten to go next since she was on Lee's team. "When you feel all alone and the world has turned it's back on you, give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart. I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you. It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold. When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore. Let me be the one you call. If you jump I'll break your fall. Lift you up and fly away with you into the night. If you need to fall apart I can mend a broken heart. If you need to crash then crash and burn you're not alone." Her voice was exceptional. When her turn was over they decided to keep the patern going. Since Kiba wanted to sing a duet with Hinata, that left Ino as the next girl in the pattern, so Choji went next since he was on her team and Temari would be going after Shikamaru.

"On a cold, wet afternoon in a room full of emptiness by a freeway I confess I was lost in the pages of a book full of death reading how we'll die alone and if we're good we'll lay to rest anywhere we want to go. In your house I long to be, room by room patiently. I'll wait for you there like a stone. I'll wait for you there alone." Choji was fairly decent. Ino was next in line. Iruka found he was really enjoying himself and Kakashi seemed to be humming along to the songs.

"I can feel the magic floating in the air. Being with you gets me that way. I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've never been this swept away. All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze when I'm lying wrapped up in your arms. The whole world just fades away the only thing I hear is the beating of your heart. 'Cause I can feel you breathe, it's washing over me, and suddenly I'm melting into you. There's nothing left to prove, baby all we need is just to be. Caught up in the touch, slow and steady rush. Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be? I can feel you breathe." Ino's voice was so soft Iruka could barely hear it where he was sitting, but her friends applauded nonetheless. Now it was Shikamaru's turn.

"I never knew. I never knew that everything was falling through. That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue to turn and run when all I needed was the truth. But that's how it's got to be. It's coming down to nothing more than apathy. I'd rather run the other way than stay and see the smoke and who's still standing when it clears. Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head. With eight seconds left in overtime, she's on your mind. She's on your mind." Iruka gritted his teeth and felt Kakashi's hand clench around his. The main part of the song had been so-so, but as soon as the poor boy had gotten to the chorus he sounded like a dying cat. Luckily it wasn't too long until it was over. Temari laughed and kissed him as she took to the stage. All the others clapped and laughed as well and he grinned, knowing he was terrible and not caring in the slightest.

Her voice was soft at first, but then it picked up in volume a little and they could finally hear her. "I'll watch the night turn light blue, but it's not the same without you because it takes two to whisper quietly. The silence isn't so bad, 'til I look at my hands and feel sad 'cause the spaces in between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly. I'll find repose in new ways though I haven't slept in two days, 'cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone. But drenched in vanilla twilight I'll sit on the front porch all night, waist deep in thought because when I think of you I don't feel so alone." Her voice was pleasant, especially right on the heels of her husband's. After her came Hinata and Kiba with their duet.

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that's alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, but that's alright because I love the way you lie. I love the way you lie." Her voice was beautiful and tinkling, sounding like a bunch of bells were chiming.

"I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like. And right now there's a steel knife in my my windpipe. I can't breathe, but I still fight while I can fight. As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight." Kiba's voice was deep and perfect for rapping, though Iruka doubted he could really sing anything very well if it came down to it. Perhaps Shikamaru should have picked a rap song. Next was Sasuke.

"Oh what the hell she says I just can't win for losing, and she lays back down. Man there's so many times I don't know what I'm doing, like I don't know now. By the light of the moon she rubs her eyes, says it's funny how the night can make you blind. I can just imagine. And I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but if she feels bad then I do too, so I let her be. And she says, oh I can't take no more, her tears like diamonds on the floor and her diamonds bring me down. 'Cause I can't help her now, she's down in it. She tried her best, but now she can't win. It's hard to see them on the ground. Her diamonds falling down." Sasuke's voice was so deep it was like a pur, but it was pleasing to the ears and he watched Naruto smile and close his eyes in appreciation. Iruka's heart clenched and he smiled joyfully at Kakashi.

"Our boy is next," he whispered excitedly. And sure enough, as soon as Sasuke was done, and the proper praise given, the group fell silent. Everyone watched with anticipation as Naruto slowly made his way to the stage. Naruto picked his song and then closed his eyes so that he couldn't see their expressions.

His song was met with a stunned silence and Iruka listened with rapt attention. He got goosebumps once he'd reached the third verse. "She walked through bullets and haze. I asked her to stop, I begged her to stay. But she pressed on, so I lifted my gun and I fired away. And the shells jumped through the smoke, and into the sand that the blood now had soaked. She collapsed with a flag in her hand, a flag white as snow. A hero of war, is that what they see? Just medals and scars, so damn proud of me. And I brought home that flag, now it gathers dust. But it's a flag that I love, the only flag that I trust. He said, 'son, have you seen the world? Well what would you say, if I said that you could?'" There was such tension in the room you could cut it with a knife and then they all gave him a standing ovation. The girls were all crying, even Temari and Ten-Ten were sniffling, and Iruka found he had tears streaming down his face as well. Sasuke was staring at Naruto in awe and Iruka felt pride well up in his chest. He looked at Kakashi through his tears and saw the man's soft smile. He knew Kakashi could relate to Naruto in that way, a way that Iruka never could, but he didn't resent it. He welcomed any understanding that came Naruto's way. It just saddened him that both of the people he cared about had suffered in ways he could barely imagine, and was glad that they had created a little family of their own.

Iruka looked at his son and saw the beginnings of his inner fortress crumbling as he smiled shyly at the group. "Let's go out for pizza!" Choji suggested a little vehemently, and though everyone laughed they agreed in the end, even Naruto.

"Our boy is fine Kakashi. He's starting to come out of his shell and I'm glad. Our work is done. Now, take me home and make me even happier than I am now," Iruka ordered with a sultry glance.

The pervert grinned and, with a glint in his eye that meant trouble was brewing, said, "Challenge accepted." He then got up, grabbed Iruka's hand, and proceeded to drag him out of the karaoke joint.

**Naruto's POV.**

"I really did have a good time once I got over my nerves," Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"Told you so. I'm glad you came." He was silent for a moment when they reached Naruto's appartment, but then he pulled the blond into a hug. "I don't ever want you to feel alone. I'm here for you if you ever want to talk, or even if you're just feeling sad and don't want to be on your own. All you have to do is come to my place, or find a way to let me know and I promise I'll do whatever I can to help, okay?"

Naruto stood motionless, stunned. Had Sasuke really said that? And since when did the raven hug people? He'd never even seen him hug his girlfriends and had just figured he wasn't much for displays of affection. If he was honest with himself his heart was doing a little victory dance inside his chest, but he had no idea what to do in this kind of situation. Slowly, hesitantly, he hugged Sasuke back. They stood like that for a little while before stepping back simultaneously. "Thanks. Well, uh, it's late. You should probably be getting home. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Sure thing. Have a nice night Naruto." Sasuke said with a smile.

"You too. Be safe walking home."

"I will." Sasuke turned and waved over his shoulder as he walked away.

Naruto went into his room and fell back onto his bed. Spending so much time in the presence of the one he loved was both intoxicating and painful. He was willing to take the pain though because the sensations he felt every time the other boy looked at him made him feel like he was on cloud nine. He sighed contentedly and fell asleep.


	8. Restricted Chapter 2

**BoyxBoy! Don't like, don't read. Rated MA, for over eighteen only. **

***Restricted Chapter* Yaoi! Kakashi's POV.**

"Um, Kakashi? I don't think this is such a good idea," Iruka said, sounding nervous. Kakashi laughed, remembering the events leading up to this.

_Kakashi locked the door to Iruka's house behind him and stripped his little brunette of his clothing. He then made quick work of his own and bent Iruka over the arm of the couch, reaching for the lube. He spent as little time as necessary preparing the other man before thrusting into him. Iruka cried out, arching his back and clenching tightly around the silver-haired man. Kakashi groaned and moved in and out quickly. He always had trouble finishing and knew tonight was going to be long, so his personal goal was to see how many times he could make his lover cum. He repeatedly hit Iruka's prostate earning him squeals of delight and whimpers of pleasure. Reaching around he grabbed his lover's hand and brought it up to his erection. Wrapping his fingers firmly around Iruka's he helped the man to stroke himself. The moan the younger man let out had him thrusting harder and faster until finally, biting roughly into the muscle between Iruka's neck and shoulder, Iruka came all over the place. Kakashi grunted in satisfaction then picked the smaller man up and took him to the shower. Closing the shower door behind them, he adjusted the water temperature and then turned to Iruka. He kissed him passionately before grabbing him by the waist and easily flipping him upside down. The teacher made a very undignified sound and gripped Kakashi's legs desperately. Kakashi just helped him to hook his legs over the shower door. And here they were._

"I am a teacher you know. I know the laws of physics very well, especially the law of gravity, and I am trying to tell you that there are very many ways that this can go wrong!" Iruka explained in exasperation, still clinging for dear life.

"Trust me. I won't let you fall," Kakashi said uninterested in conversation and took Iruka into his mouth. Iruka cried out in surprise and Kakashi stroked him roughly with his tongue to show him that he thoroughly liked the noise. Iruka made a few more sexy noises in the back of his throat then took Kakashi into his mouth as well, never once loosening his grip. Kakashi groaned and closed his eyes, but continued his lavishing. The younger man was trying desperately to make him cum, but Kakashi wasn't even close. He decided to let Iruka figure that out on his own, however, as he took the teacher into his throat and milked him with his very slight gag reflexes. Iruka shrieked around Kakashi's cock and accidentally bit down a little, sending delightful shivers up Kakashi's spine. He thought his eyes might cross. Curiously he used his teeth very lightly and the man in his arms shuddered before spurting into his mouth. He swallowed all of it and then pulled away, helping Iruka back to his feet and gently washing every inch of him. He stayed hard through the whole thing. Iruka wore a very sated expression and Kakashi was imensely pleased with himself.

When they left the shower Kakashi barely spared a few seconds to dry them off before leading the brunette to the bed. He laid him on it gently and began to suckle on his neck, knowing he would leave a hickey and not bothering to keep it where it could be hidden. He nipped at the man's collar bone, then made his way down to his erect nipples. Taking one into his mouth he sucked hard, and swirled his tongue around it. When he nipped at it Iruka burried his fingers in Kakashi's hair and tugged, letting out a breathy moan. Kakashi switched to the other one until Iruka was writhing beneath him then made his way up to kiss the other ninja. Iruka gave as good as he got, and Kakashi knew that it would be very difficult for Iruka to cum a third time and he'd be ready, when the time came, to join him. He lubed up his fingers and prepared himself before sliding onto the young man's erection. He groaned as he started moving. After nearly twenty minutes in that position Iruka switched it up on him and rolled over so that he was in the dominant position.

"I love you Kakashi," he whipsered softly as he kissed him slowly, druggingly. Kakashi felt his breath catch in his throat. He'd never said the words back, more terrified of them than he was of feeling them, but Iruka never failed to say it, especially during they're love making. He stared up into Iruka's eyes, hoping to convey his feelings through an intimate gaze, and kissed him for all he was worth, wrapping his arms securely around Iruka's back. He felt bad about not returning the other man's words, but Iruka was already moving, eyes closed and teeth biting into his lower lip to contain his pleasure. He was trying desperately to hold on until Kakashi came. Suddenly Kakashi felt that little tingle and his toes curled in response. The obvious pleasure the other was exhibiting added to the nearly forty-five minutes they'd been at it now made him more sensitive and he felt himself unraveling. Normally it would take longer, but not tonight.

"Iruka, open your eyes. I want to see it," he commanded roughly. Iruka did as he was asked and opened them, revealing glazed eyes filled with both love and lust. He came with a hoarse cry and spurted into Kakashi. The older man groaned and with a strangled cry came all over his stomach. Iruka collapsed on top of him and managed to make them both messy again. Kakashi held him tightly for a minute then tenderly laid him to the side. "I'll go get a washcloth." Iruka nodded weakly as his eyes fluttered shut. When Kakashi began to wipe his chest off Iruka hummed happily. Kakashi smiled and slid in next to him, clean and comfortable. He took the love of his life into his arms and braced himself. Taking a deep breath he whispered, "I love you too, Iruka."

The brunette bolted upright, his eyes wide. He was suddenly very awake. "Kakashi!" he gasped quietly.

Kakashi avoided looking at him. "I'm sorry it took me so long. It's not like the feelings weren't there, the words just wouldn't come out."

"Say it again?" Iruka asked hesitantly.

"I love you." Kakashi's voice was a little firmer this time. He dared to peak up.

Iruka's smile was spreading slowly across his face and Kakashi found it infectious. He smiled back as his love kissed him passionately, stroking his cheek (which was uncovered). Iruka drew back and snuggled into Kakashi's warmth. "I love you too. Thank you." And with his smile still on his face he fell asleep. Kakashi held him tighter and, feeling like a burden had been lifted, joined him.


	9. Chapter 7

**As usual, OOC. R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Seven. Naruto's POV.**

Friday came guickly and Naruto found himself having fun during his sparring match with Hinata. Despite her claims of being rusty Naruto found it both challenging and invigorating. After nearly four hours they both fell back on the ground laughing and gasping for air.

"Thanks Naruto. I really needed this," Hinata said breathlessly.

"Me too," Naruto agreed. He sat up and looked at her seriously. "I need Kiba to go on a mission with me; he and Akamaru are the best trackers in the village. This is top secret. You can't tell anyone, not even Shino. The only reason I'm telling you is because you're my friend and I didn't want you worrying. I need you to tell him to meet me at the gate at midnight tomorrow night. I'll need you to use your Byakugan, both when you're telling him and when he comes to meet me, to ensure no one is watching or listening in."

"I understand. Thank you for telling me. No one will know. I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Thanks Hinata," he said, giving her a hug.

"No problem." She smiled at him as he left to go find Sakura.

She was sitting on the hill they'd had their first training exercise on. Her eyes were closed and her head laid back, a smile on her face. Without opening her eyes she said, "Kakashi would have flunked us if you hadn't made us work as a team. I owe my success to you, your plan, and your sacrifice y'know."

"Nah. It wasn't anything big. I didn't eat lunch at that point."

She did open her eyes then. "But when we went for ramen after we passed you ate."

He shrugged. "We were celebrating. I made an exception."

"Oh." She was clearly baffled.

"I wish I was here just for the hell of it, but unfortunately that's not the case. We're going on a mission, starting tomorrow night at midnight at the gate. You can tell Lee under the condition that it goes no further than him. Not even Ten-Ten, Gai, Kakashi, or Sasuke can know. This mission is classified; only the Hokage knows of it. Understood?"

"She nodded. "Completely. I'll be there."

"No. Go to Hinata's house around eleven. And make sure that you are one hundred percent alone when you tell Lee."

"Got it. See you tomorrow night."

He nodded and left. All that was left was to inform Tsunade. He quietly snuck into her office, careful not to wake her as she was sleeping on her desk, and slipped the paper into the middle of her stack of paperwork. She wouldn't get to it until the day after tomorrow at least. With that done he made his way to the waterfall he'd been training at for the past week and a half. He knew he wasn't supposed to do it without Kakashi and Yamato, but poor Yamato was just so worn out and Kakashi was with Iruka because it was their six month anniversary today. Iruka had grown to be like a dad to him, almost as much as Jiraiya was, and Kakashi was definitely an authority figure to him, so it was easy to see them together. He was happy for both of them. That's why he was giving them the day. It wouldn't hurt to train on his own just once. He made the Rasengan in his palm then started adding wind to it. That's what he did all night long, only stopping around ten o'clock the next morning. He went home and took a long, hot shower to ease his overused muscles and put on some fresh clothes. Around noon he made his way to Shikamaru's.

"Hey Naruto. I thought you might be showing up about this time." Shikamaru grinned lazily and pointed to the shogi set in front of him.

Naruto smiled. "I never can wait very long for a game with you. Saturday was almost too far away."

Shikamaru laughed and Naruto joined him in sitting on his porch. They started in right away, both relishing the challenge. About halfway in Shikamaru announced, "You're planning something."

"How can you tell?" Naruto asked curiously.

"You're usually very whimsical, just making random moves depending on what is before you at the time. Today you're strategizing. You tend to do that when you're planning something." Shikamaru made his next move and Naruto realized he was right.

"You're too perceptive for you own good. I wish I could tell you, but secrecy is of the utmost importance at the moment. I apologize."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Just figured I'd see if it was something you wanted to talk about." There was a comfortable pause while Naruto positioned himself to win the game. Shikamaru laughed as he realized he had been outdone. Still he made the best move he could. "So, I noticed you're talking to Sasuke now."

Naruto's head whipped up. "What?"

"Don't play dumb. You've had a thing for him for years. I've known since I first saw you two together in a casual setting. I was just wondering how everything is going?" he asked casually.

"The same as it's always been. And I plan for it to stay that way. He's not into that kind of stuff. I'd rather have a teamate who's comfortable around me than an awkwardness between us for the rest of the time we know each other."

"Okay. Just asking."

"I win." Shikamaru laughed again. "Who do you think the king is?"

"Well, Asuma asks me the same thing. He never tells me I'm right though. I figure the king is you. I'm probably a bishop, or at least that's what Asuma says. He thinks he's a pawn. He disagrees with the king though. Won't tell me what he thinks it is."

"You're sensei is very astute. He's right. I'm not the king. If anything I'm the board you play on."

"I don't see how you get that."

"I provide stability and opportunities. I watch while my people go about their lives, waiting for the outcome of their battles. I still participate, but that doesn't mean I'm one of the more important pieces. At the end of the day the pieces go back inside the board, safe and sound and protected. That is what I do. I oversee, protect, wait, and sometimes I participate. I'm in no way vital and easily replaceable."

"I still don't see it. But whatever you say." Shikamaru shook his head. They played several more games, keeping at it until the sun began to set, then Temari called Shikamaru in for dinner and Naruto made his way to the last person on his list for the day.

**Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke was just about to sit down with dinner, he'd prepared some sushi for himself tonight, when he heard a knock on his door. Remembering what he'd said to Naruto he quickly got up to answer it. And sure enough there was Naruto, looking both determined and unsure at the same time. Curious about the conflicting emotions Sasuke stood aside to invite Naruto in. "Hey Naruto." He smiled at him. Naruto didn't budge.

"I have to tell you something Sasuke. And it will probably come as shock to you." Sasuke watched the blond take a deep breath and felt a tingle of aprehension. "Itachi is innocent. A man named Danzo forced him to massacre the clan in exchange for your life. He was just trying to protect you, the person he loved most in his life. He cared for you even over his lover, and he sacrificed his own emotions to keep you alive. I'm sorry." And with that Naruto walked away.

Sasuke stood there stunned. It couldn't possibly be true. He felt himself shakiing his head in denial as he shut the door. Unsure of what to do with himself he paced his living room floor his dinner forgotten. After ten minutes of pacing he still hadn't figured anything out so he slipped his shoes on and went after Naruto in order to talk more about it. How could Naruto think something like that? And if it was true, how had he come to know about it? Why hadn't he been told? Nothing made sense. He found himself at Naruto's apartment, but no one answered when he knocked. He opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked, and found the place empty. Feeling lost and slightly dazed he walked the streets of Konoha for hours, finally returning to his house around eleven o'clock. He laid on his back and stared at the all too familiar ceiling, not bothering to wait until he got to his bed. Could Itachi really be innocent? How would he feel about that if he found out it was true. Would he ever see his brother again? Would they be friends? Would Itachi still be the same? He found that sadly the ceiling held no answers for him. He didn't sleep a wink that night.

**Hinata's POV.**

"I've brought them Naruto, just like you asked," Hinata whispered.

"Thank you Hinata. Is the area secure?" Naruto asked, stepping forward so that the other two could see him.

"Yes. There's no one within a one hundred kilometer radius."

"Good. Kiba, I've brought you a piece of clothing to get the scent from. That is what you need to track someone, right?"

"Yes. Let Akamaru and I smell it a few times, then we won't need it again."

"Naruto, do you think now you could explain what we're doing?" Sakura asked nervously.

Naruto didn't answer immediately. Instead he watched until the two males had the scent they needed.

"Okay, good to go. This guy smells a little like Sasuke. Who exactly are we tracking?" KIba asked suspiciously.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Sakura and Hinata gasped. Kiba looked at Naruto as though he'd grown a second head. "Why?" he asked incredulously.

"Because I have decided as the Hokage that it is important to retrieve him."

"Oh Naruto, do be careful!" Hinata murmured urgently.

"I will. I have reason to believe he will not harm me. And I'll keep the others safe. Kiba will hang back with Sakura as soon as he's pinpointed him. I'm only bringing Sakura for her medical skills in case Itachi and I fight, but it's unlikely. We'll see you again very soon. Please don't worry."

Hinata sighed. She went to Kiba and hugged him tightly, going up on tiptoe to give him a chaste kiss. "Keep track of him please."

"Of course, Sweet. You take care of yourself. I'll be home soon and we'll go on that date I promised you. Look forward to it."

She giggled. "I will. You do the same." She waved them off and watched as people she cared dearly about went on what could possibly be a suicide mission. No wonder it was secret. She sighed. Tonight would be a long night.


	10. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Please R&R.**

**A/N: Since it is my first fanfic and I don't know if it's any good I would appreciate a few reviews, good or bad, before my next upload. My uploads are not dependant on reviews because it pisses me off when people wait forever for that reason. I am generally a silent reader and respect that some people do not wish to communicate. Still, it'd be nice. Thanks. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Eight. Kiba's POV.**

They'd been tracking all night, it was now lunch time, and all of them -except maybe Naruto- wanted to take a break and eat. Kiba decided to put his foot down. "Akamaru and I are hungry and refuse to go any further without a little snack break and some explanations. We've been out here for damn near twelve hours now and we don't even know why. I'm pretty sure we deserve an explanation for the mission even if you are the Hokage."

"Kiba's right Naruto. It wouldn't hurt us to rest a bit. You should tell us why we're here," Sakura agreed quietly.

Naruto sighed, but sat on a boulder and motioned for them to get comfy too. When they had all eaten, he spoke up. Kiba listened eagerly. "During our rescue mission for the Kazekage, Kakashi and I caught an Akatsuki member, as I'm sure you'll remember Sakura. However, he did not survive and with his dying breaths told the two of us of the circumstances surrounding Itachi's slaughter of the Uchiha clan. According to his story, Itachi was ordered by Danzo to do it, and as I know Danzo personally and know the extent of his evil deeds I find I am inclined to believe it. One might wonder why Itachi would agree to such a thing given that it was his friends and family he was ordered to kill, but it seems that the explanation for that is that he was protecting Sasuke. I'm willing to bet that Itachi is hoping for Sasuke to kill him and thereby avenge the clan for his sake as well as Sasuke's. If I am correct, and committing such an atrocity has caused him unbelievable pain and regret, and the story is indeed true, I am going to give him a full pardon and hope that he will return to the village with us. This will benefit the village in many ways. Firstly, the Akatsuki will have one less highly skillful member. Conversely, he'll be on our side. Also, Sasuke, whom I told of Itachi's innocence shortly after sundown last night, will not go running off in search of his brother at a time when I will need his help to bring down both Danzo and The Foundation. That last bit is my last reason, by the way."

"The Foundation? What is that? Who is Danzo?" Kiba asked feeling thoroughly confused, though he admitted the logic was sound.

"Danzo is the perpetrator of The Foundation, which is an entity that's sole purpose is to create super soldiers. They're attempting world domination one baby step at a time. They are also responsible for the existence of the Akatsuki, which was originally a group Orochimaru put together to hunt down good candidates for the brainwashing and experimenting programs. He was the one in charge of the research as well."

Sakura gasped and Kiba looked at her interestedly. "Orochimaru? The one who cursed Sasuke in the chunin exams?"

"Yes. I think Sasuke was a side project for Orochimaru alone, but it is possible he's changed his recruiting methods since I first met him. Either way, I was able to find a way, with a doctor friend's help that is, to get rid of it and Sasuke has been fine ever since."

"How do you know all of this Naruto?" Sakura demanded and Kiba found himself wondering why he hadn't asked that himself.

"Because I was one of their research subjects at a point in my earlier life. Now, I think we should probably be moving."

Kiba stood up, reeling slightly from what he'd just learned, and nodded accommodatingly. "You know, it's weird, but Itachi's scent is all over this place. Like he visits the area frequently. It was pretty strong near the village too."

"I wonder if he's checking up on Sasuke," Naruto mused and Kiba thought it a good possibility.

"If he got that close that often and didn't try anything that might prove he's innocent," Kiba suggested thoughtfully.

"That is true. All that's left is to see if he'll admit to it."

Hours passed in comfortable silence as they made slow progress due to that fact that Itachi seemed to have run through the forest in circles. Kiba knew he hadn't, but the criss-crossing smells were driving him nutts. When he finally untangled a fresh scent leading away from the jumbled mass he followed it with a sigh of relief. "I think we've got him." Another couple of hours and Kiba stopped. "Since you promised I'd hang back when we found him this is as far as I go."

"Really? That was easy," Naruto said, souding slightly suspicious. "It could be a trap. Sakura, stay with Kiba. Kiba, which way?"

Kiba motioned with his pointer finger. "Good luck."

**Naruto's POV.**

He saw the man sleeping lightly under a tree on the opposite side of the clearing, watched as the man sprang to his feet when he noticed Naruto's presence. The man had taken a defensive stance, but straightened up when he saw that Naruto wasn't approaching and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing out here? Why would you leave your teamates so far away from you when you had to have sensed my presence? Are you so sure of yourself?"

"I'm fairly certain that you won't hurt me, but not positive, no," he answered nonchalantly.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Danzo." Naruto watched the other man's expression carefully and saw his pupils dilate slightly as he breathed in sharply. "That's what I thought. Deidara was telling the truth wasn't he? That Danzo forced your hand?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the other man said cautiously, looking at Naruto as though sizing him up.

"Well, Sasuke knows. That you were only keeping him safe that is. I told him right before I left. And if you don't come back with me, he'll come looking for you. I'd prefer he not leave the village right now."

Itachi flinched at his brother's name. "That was a cruel thing to do. What if it wasn't true?"

"But it is, isn't it?"

"Suppose I admit that I massacred the people I loved purely to protect my brother? What would happen then? I would hardly be welcomed back into the village with open arms."

"I think you already admitted it when you said 'the people I loved' instead of 'my clan'," Naruto pointed out.

Itachi froze and studied him carefully. "I know you. You were at the foundation when I joined the Akatsuki," he accused, his voice betraying his surprise.

"Yes, I was. I know just what Danzo is capable of. I was rescued a few years later and have been monitoring his moves for the better part of a decade now, waiting for the right moment to take him down. I was hoping you might want to help with that."

"You still haven't answered my question. What will happen if I go back with you?"

"We'll keep your presence secret from the majority until Danzo's been taken care of. Then we'll reinstate you as a shinobi."

"What makes you think the Hokage will agree to that? I hear she's pretty strict."

"I am the Hokage. Tsunade is just part of a front to fool Danzo. And I have already decided to pardon you completely. Now the only question is whether or not you want to see your brother again, and I don't mean from a tree branch just outside the village." Naruto watched the other man's eyes widen and saw the slight flaring of his nostrils. "Yes, I know you've been checking up on him all these years. So what do you say?"

Itachi took a deep, shaky breath. "I want to see my brother again. And you're right, not just from a tree in the distance. I want to really see him, hug him even, if he'll let me."

"I need to hear you admit your story for it to be official." He made his voice louder so that Sakura and Kiba could hear him if they couldn't already. "Hey guys, come bear witness to Itachi's testimony please."

Immediately they stepped into the clearing and made their way over. "Wow. You look just like him," Sakura whispered to Itachi. The raven gave her a look that was both pained and happy before turning to Naruto.

"When I was thirteen years old, a man named Danzo, along with the two elders that were advisors to the hokage, decided that my clan needed to be taken care of. The Third opposed this greatly, but Danzo found a way around him. He came to me and threatened my brother. I knew that no matter what I couldn't keep my clan safe, but I could protect my brother. So, I agreed with his terms and assassinated my clan. Everyone but Sasuke. I was also ordered to become a rogue ninja, but I was worried about Sasuke's safety even though I had done what Danzo asked, so I begged the Third to watch over him before I left. He swore he would protect him with his life. In the end it seems he ended up protecting a lot of people with his life. I left and joined the Akatsuki, but as you guessed, I returned frequently to see how my brother seemed to be fairing. I admit I felt better when he was there each and every time I looked. I've taken to only looking in on him a couple times a year in the past two or three years. He appears to have become a fine young man, and I hear he's being considered for jonin already. He has such the nicest smile."

"That's a good enough confession for me. Sakura?"

"Absolutely," said a teary eyed Sakura.

"Kiba?"

"Works for me."

"Good. Then it's settled. Itachi, we're taking you home." Naruto felt really good when the other man gave him a beautiful smile that he'd recognize anywhere. They really did look very alike.

As they traveled Itachi questioned him about his plans for taking down Danzo and everything attached. Glad to be a part of the evil man's downfall, the raven seemed especially energetic throughout their conversation and didn't complain when Naruto told everyone they wouldn't be making camp in favor of arriving under the cover of night. The look on his face when they passed through the gates was one that Naruto would remember until the day he died.


	11. Chapter 9

**This is dedicated to my first reviewer. Unfortunately it was a guest review, but you know who you are so if you have/ever get an account send me a pm so I can properly dedicate this chapter. :D You made my day. Thanks!**

**And a great, big THANKS to everyone else who reviewed, fovorited, or followed this story. It really means a lot to me. **

**A/N: I was rereading everything and saw a few mistakes that I might fix in the future. However there was one that was a little bigger than the others and I thought I'd set it straight. In chapter seven I said "one hundred kilometer radius" which if you think about it is probably bigger than the village itself. It was two o'clock in the morning when I wrote that and I tend to write automatically according to my thoughts instead of ironing out the wording beforehand. What I meant was meters. Sorry about that. :/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Chapter Nine. Sasuke's POV.**

If anyone had been searching for Sasuke on that particular morning they would have found him running as fast as he could to get to Naruto's appartment. People called out to him in greeting, but he merely lifted a hand in return as he kept up his rigorous pace. He'd heard from a couple of snickering chunins walking down the main road that Naruto was back from wherever he'd disappeared to. Sasuke had been searching for the blond since he'd dropped that bomb on him and he'd finally gone to Tsunade's office yesterday afternoon to see if she knew where he was. She'd been livid at the mention of his name and muttered incessantly about stupid teens sneaking off on secret missions without even discussing their reasoning with her. What was the point of pretending to be Hokage if the real one never treated her like it? He'd almost laughed at that little bit, but had wisely waited until he was out of the office. Still, a secret mission seemed very exciting to him and he found himself wishing that Naruto had taken him along. He'd noticed that Kiba and Sakura had been missing as well, and Tsunade's mutterings had only confirmed his suspicions, so he had to assume that Naruto had needed their particular skills and accept that some things just weren't fit for Sasuke's abilities. It was still something he'd spent the rest of the day imagining. When he'd heard that the two chunins had heard Naruto and Tsunade having a very loud discussion just half an hour ago he'd decided to head to Naruto's place to try and talk to him.

He saw that the boy's door was open and was already talking before he came into sight. "Naruto, thank goodness. I was beginning to think I'd have to get someone to hunt you down for me just so that I could talk... to..." His voice faded away as he saw what he was really looking at. He'd caught Naruto in the act of picking up a broken picture frame from the debris on his floor. The other boy carefully removed the picture then turned to smile at him.

"Hey Sasuke. You wanted to talk to me?" Sasuke couldn't believe the cheery tone that was coming out of the younger boy's mouth. There was graffiti all over the walls, many of the things written there more hurtful than threatening, but none of it pleasant. He saw a few of the words here and there. Monster. Demon. Hope you die. All of his furniture looked like it had met with a tornado and currently lay in various pieces across the room. Even what looked like a secret place under one of the floor boards had been raided. His clothing had been systematically shredded into confetti. All of his dishes were broken. There was nothing to be even remotely cheerful about. He saw the picture Naruto was holding, their team picture, and that's what finally made him snap.

"What the hell happened here Naruto," Sasuke asked, his voice deadly calm.

"Ah, don't worry about it. They never steal anything and they always leave the food alone. Besides, they didn't hit my real stash. That one was a decoy," he said, pointing to the secret compartment beneath the floor board.

"You mean to tell me this happens all the time?" Sasuke nearly shouted, horrified by the idea.

"Well, just when I go out of town. I've learned over time how to get through it without losing too much in the process."

"Naruto, this is not just a simple matter of vandalism. It's meant to hurt and to frighten."

"Yeah, but it really does neither. I'm used to it Sasuke, just chill okay? And if you're going to hang around at least help me to get past all this junk to the real stuff, so I can make sure it's all safe."

Sasuke didn't like any of it, but he helped him nonetheless. Apparently, the single floorboard was not only a decoy, but a way of opening the real hidey hole as well. Naruto reached into the hole as far as he could, revealing the floor to be hollow, and pulled a rope out. He instructed Sasuke to clear anything that hindered his progress out of the way while he pulled. And soon a large space, probably three squared meters around and one meter deep, was revealed. Inside were a few changes of clothing, extra food just in case, new bedding, a few sentimental possessions, and some cash. Naruto pulled out the clothes, bedding and cash then shut it and once again hid the string.

"First I need to clean up here to see what all I need, but then I'll be going into town to buy it, so you can just wait for me in one of the stores if you'd like. I know this isn't exactly a nice place to be at the moment." He sounded apologetic.

Sasuke growled. "Baka, like I'm going to let you clean up alone. Stupidity doesn't suit you." And with that he grabbed a broom from the corner and started sweeping up the mess. He saw something that looked like gratitude flit briefly across Naruto's face, but then he went into the bathroom and came back out with a bucket of water and a scrub brush. Sasuke watched him scrub the walls for a minute before returning to his task. He'd only ever actually been inside his teamates appartment once before and he found himself trying to remember what it used to look like. Within half an hour they were done and Naruto took the two trash bags out to the dumpster. Sasuke decided to dump the bucket of dirty water for Naruto and figured he'd use the bathroom sink. What he saw in the bathroom shocked him. There were faint traces of blood on every object in the room, and the only thing that wasn't broken in some way was the door. Which reminded him that they needed to fix the front door. It had been completely taken off its hinges. He dumped the water and went back into the living room just as Naruto returned.

"What happened to your bathroom?" he asked, hoping the answer wasn't as bad as he feared it was.

"Uh, let's just say that the villagers were a lot more, um, outspoken before I grew some muscles. I guess they figured that once I was bigger I shouldn't be messed with directly. None of them know that had I fought back at all even when I was small I could have killed them. Let's just say that Kyuubi isn't too happy about broken bones. He tends to be a little sadistic when fixing them and I thrash around a lot." He laughed nervously and Sasuke almost let out a groan of despair. Be careful what you wish for, he reminded himself, because it had turned out to be worse than he'd thought. Sasuke sat down on one of the shredded couch cushions, which he'd found out was what Naruto used to make new mattresses with when he couldn't afford to buy a new one, and put his head in his hands.

"Why did you ever want to be Hokage when the very people who are supposed to serve you treat you like this?"

"Well, it was a dream of mine since I learned what the Hokage was. And my friends only reinforced my decision as I got to know them. Maybe some people in this village have nothing better to do than trash my place, but I personally don't care about them. I became Hokage because I wanted to help those I cared about. And I did."

"How so?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not sure I should be saying this..." Naruto looked at him and Sasuke made sure to keep a straight face. He sighed and sat down next to him. "Well for starters, everyone here is way more messed up than you realize. Take Sakura, for example. She's schizophrenic and was terrified that someone would find out and stop her from being a kunoichi. But because of her schizophrenia she learned to compartmentalize at an early age, which gave her amazing chakra control and the potential to be a great medical ninja. When I became Hokage I had Tsunade request that Sakura train with her and now Sakura is not only an exceptional medical ninja, but she hardly has any problems with her condition anymore either."

Sasuke had never known that about Sakura, but he did remember when he'd heard that she broke Ino's jutsu in the chunin exams and Ino had shouted something about her having two people in her head. Funny that he'd never noticed before. Now he was definitely interested. "Okay, so I know it's technically gossip, but I'm dying to know. Please go on."

"Some of them might blow your mind..." Naruto warned.

"That just makes it all the better."

Naruto sighed. "Fine. But this is strictly between us. So, Lee is bipolar. When he set one of his self limitations and he ended up having to do the punishment he'd picked out for himself he did it to the point of harming his body because he was so disappointed that he hadn't succeeded in the first place. I had Kabuto make him a bottle of medicine. All he has to do is put a drop or two in his tea every morning and he's good to go. It balances out a hormone in his body that was causing the extreme mood swings. I also had him see a therapist. He hasn't had an episode in three years." Sasuke was stunned. He'd always thought Lee to be a happy go lucky guy, but now that he looked back on some of his previous self-imposed punishments they were rather harsh.

"On the same team we have Ten-Ten. She's a sadist. I had Tsunade suggest that she turn her, uh, talents towards weapons training and she is now the best weapons specialist in the village. Moving on to Neji. He was anorexic. When his father died he chose to abandon his relatives and strike out on his own. Because he often couldn't afford food he convinced himself it was because his body didn't need it. When he finally could afford to eat properly he couldn't do it because he had his mind set that he didn't need it. He was actually an easy cure. I just had to get Gaara to confess to him and viola. Gaara's a pig, so it wasn't long before Neji regained his proper appetite and then some. Now Gaara should be pretty obvious. He had sociopathic tendancies because he was treated badly by everyone around him. He stopped just short of being a sociopath, which is easy to see now because he is more than capable of feeling. Kankuro, though you don't know him very well, is paranoid. That's why he's always using crow as a decoy when really he's the one everyone thinks is the puppet. It's come in handy quite a bit. When Gaara mellowed out some he did too since he didn't have to worry about his own brother anymore. Temari has short term memory loss. I helped Shikamaru develop a system that's been working for her ever since.

"Now Shikamaru is one of the interesting ones. Everyone thinks he's lazy, but they're all wrong. He has chronic fatigue syndrom which makes you feel rundown all the time. When I found out I had Kabuto devote himself to finding a cure. He makes him these special 'mints' that he can suck on whenever he starts to crash. It seems to be working really well. Ino was bulimic because she wanted to look nice for you and thought she had to have a tiny waist to do so. This didn't help Choji who was self conscious about how much he ate, even though he only does it for his jutsu, and it gave him an inferiority complex that everyone thought he was the weak link. I knew Choji was a really sweet guy and I conveyed my idea to Shikamaru who pushed Choji to ask Ino out. I didn't have to be Hokage to do that of course, but I did get to sign the marriage license." Sasuke grinned at that one.

"Kiba's masochistic, but I put in the order for him to train with our ANBU at least twice a week and he's really settled down. Of course a lot of that has to do with the fact that he's getting beaten up pretty badly, but it seems to make him happy and he's not acting like a daredevil anymore. Hinata was severely abused by her father after her mother died, but I made arrangements for her to go live with Neji until she came of age and they were happy roomates the entire time. She moved into her own little place a few months ago after she decided she wanted some privacy and that's when she and Kiba started dating. Then there's Shino. He was seriously depressed because he has turrets. That's why he always wears that jacket that covers his face along with the sunglasses. He has facial ticks and they used to really embarrass him. I had Kabuto work on something for him too, and I've noticed lately that he tends to show his face more."

"Okay. So everyone has a problem. What's mine?" Sasuke challenged.

"You have obsessive compulsive disorder which is very difficult to help, but not overly serious."

Sasuke sat in stunned silence as he realized he'd been found out. "How did you - ?"

"I observed. What? Did you think everyone just came and admitted their problems to me?" he asked with a laugh, but Sasuke was still shaken. He'd thought he'd hidden it well.

"Well, what about you then?" he asked daringly.

"I'm clinically insane. Kyuubi wears on my mind constantly, and I often have psychotic thoughts. I also talk to myself and have chronic nightmares. I laugh hysterically at nothing on my not so great days, and I rip things to shreds at my worst. I've gotten pretty good at controlling it over the years though."

"What about the teachers?" Sasuke asked desperately, trying not to admit how much this conversation had disturbed him.

"Let's start with Kakashi. He suffers from an identity crisis. Ever since the loss of his teamate Obito he's taken on his characteristics and ideals. That's why he's always late. Haven't come up with a solution for him yet. Then there's his rival, Gai. He sleepwalks and it terrifies him because he used to sleep naked until he woke up outside one night. Now he owns a nice collection of pajamas and some sleep aides, but he still wakes up outside sometimes. He seems to favor his personal training area. Then there's Kurenai. She has anger management issues, which is hilarious if you think about it because she was always so nice to Hinata. I appointed her to teach free sparring sessions for anyone who needs a partner and can't find one. It works for her. And Asuma. He has a very persistant wheeze because of his smoking and it limits what he can do which makes him grumpy. I suggested he switch to cinnomon toothpicks and do breathing exercises which he grudgingly admits have helped. Tsunade used to be a drunk and a gambler. I helped her set up a reward system and now she just indulges in a few drinks from time to time. Jiraiya is such a pervert that he's bisexual now because he still wasn't satisfied even after all the women he's been with. Believe it or not I was being sarcastic when I told him to find a real man to wear him out. Men have really mellowed him out, which might be why I'm gay. Can't say for sure. I don't know exactly what is at the root of Orochimaru, nor do I want to. Iruka has a little more estrogen in him than most guys and gets emotional easy which bothers him, but since I prompted him to ask Kakashi out he's had a lot more confidence. Ebisu is a closet pervert, but that's not a crime. And lastly, the Third Hokage had alzheimer's."

Sasuke almost wished he hadn't asked. "I guess no one is just normal, huh?"

"Nope," Naruto agreed happily. "But that's what makes people interesting." And with that he left to go replace what he'd lost.

**So I know it's weird, and a little longer than usual, but I like showing that most people are at least a little off their rocker. I had fun coming up with something for each of them and I hope it wasn't too weird for you guys. I thought most of them made sense and I'm pretty sure I hit the nail on the head with a few of them. Review so I know if I went overboard. And question: Should I add Konohamaru into the story?**


	12. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Warning! Spoilers for those who haven't watched Shippuden. **

**A/N: I realized after a review I got that I forgot to put in a warning for other parts of the story. If I say them now, it'll really spoil them for people who haven't watched Shippuden, so when you do, I'm sorry. I'm sure those of you who have watched it caught them. They were pretty obvious. Also, I thought I would clear up a little issue that one of my reviewers brought up. This is primarily a SasuNaru; however, there will be some NaruSasu parts, so bear with me. Anyway, on to the next chapter. **

**Chapter Ten. Naruto's POV.**

When they had successfully replaced his furniture and clothes, as well as fixed the door, Sasuke finally shook his head and turned to Naruto. Naruto had been worried because the raven hadn't said a word since they'd left, but he saw him pull himself out of it and felt more than a little relieved. "You fix everyone else's problems, you've even set up your fair share of successful relationships, but you can't tell one person you love him?"

Naruto visibly deflated at the question. "You had something you wanted to talk to me about?" He heard Sasuke sigh and knew he was driving him crazy, but no way would he tell him the truth.

"Fine. But one day I'll figure it out, even if I have to get you drunk and make you spill your guts to do so." Naruto watched as his face became much more serious. "I've been thinking ever since you told me about Itachi and... I want to find him."

"To do what?" Naruto asked carefully.

"To see if it's possible that it's true," he said hoarsely.

"And if it is?" Naruto said, glad he had the chance to ask these questions at all.

"If it is... then I'll have to seriously rethink my life. I know I can't forgive him right away, but if he really did it just to protect me, even though that's a little twisted, I can't hate him. I will have to come to terms with how I feel before I can say for sure, but I think I might want him to be my big brother again. I really have missed him, if you look past all the anger and loathing I felt. And, I remember now because of a dream I had the night before last. I chased after him even after what I remember and he cried as he left. I think that I'd like to try to make ammends. A part of me will always condemn him for what he did, but I think I could make it small enough to stick on the back burner. I just, I need to know. Would you allow me to go looking for him and to bring him back if I see fit?"

"I'm glad that's how you feel. Why don't we go back to your place and discuss it?" Naruto knew that he'd confused the older boy, but he didn't want to give anything away just yet.

"Okay...?" Sasuke replied hesitantly and followed Naruto out the door. They walked in a slightly uncomfortable silence all the way across town to the Uchiha compound. Instead of going to the other boy's house Naruto walked past it and continued on down the street. "Uh, Naruto? You just passed my house."

"I know. Just follow me." They stopped outside a slightly smaller residence and Naruto went up and knocked on the door. _Shave and a haircut..._ The two corresponding knocks came quickly and Naruto saw the younger Uchiha's surprise. He opened the door and Sasuke followed him in. Naruto stood aside so that Sasuke could get a better look and heard him gasp.

"Hello Otouto," Itachi murmured as he drank in the sight of his little brother. Naruto became worried when it started to look as though Sasuke wasn't breathing.

"I-Itachi?" he finally managed to gasp out.

"Naruto told me last night that you knew, but I wasn't sure if you'd..." Itachi trailed off awkwardly.

Sasuke seemed to regain his composure a little just then. "I want to hear it from you. And I won't lead you in any way. It has to come from you."

Itachi spoke in little more than a whisper, his voice laced with pain. "Danzo threatened your life and only promised to spare it if I would rid him of the Uchihas instead of making him do it himself. I knew it was a terrible thing, I knew I could never be forgiven for it, but I had to do everything in my power to keep you safe. Our clan would have been taken out anyways, you included. And even if we managed to fight, it would just be that many more people dead in the end. I was thirteen years old, barely into puberty and in no way capable of making true adult decisions despite being part of the ANBU, and I acted recklessly. It was the hardest thing I ever did, to this day it eats at my heart and my sanity, but I did it and I live with the regret every second, awake or asleep. I am sorry Sasuke. I just wanted to protect you."

"Why'd you choose here?" Sasuke asked, trying to convey without actually saying it that he accpeted the explanation.

"It was my girlfriend's house. It was the next best thing to home."

Naruto saw him turn towards him and braced himself. "That's where you went wasn't it? To get Itachi?"

"Yes. We only got back around four o'clock this morning."

Naruto watched Sasuke nod and turn back to Itachi. "I... guess I'll see you tomorrow then..." he stated half-heartedly.

Itachi looked happier than he'd ever seen anyone look as he quietly said, "Guess so." Naruto thought he saw Sasuke smile just a little as he left the house.

"Good luck," Naruto muttered to Itachi as he too left. He then dropped Sasuke off at his own house to brood and went in search of Hinata.

**Tsunade's POV.**

She was still fuming from her talk with Naruto earlier. She had been lecturing him about taking off without telling anyone, and no, leaving a note to be found who knows when does not count, when she'd realized he was completely spacing out. She hadn't been able to hold it in any longer and she'd been yelling at him before she'd even consciously thought about it. He yelled back too, but it didn't take her very long to notice that he was smiling while he was doing it. It took less than a second after that realization to come to the conclusion that he was all bluster and her anger had disappeared. Instead she'd suddenly become too tired to stay on her feet and had fallen back into her chair in defeat.

"I'm sorry I worried you," he'd said gently, "but I am a big boy now and more than capable of taking care of myself. I felt that secrecy was most imoportant in this case and didn't want to have to withold information from you in person so chose to leave a note. Next time I'll speak to you in person."

She'd muttered, "Yeah, yeah," and waved him off like a fly. He'd grinned as he'd left the room. The little brat. Hokage or not, she'd knock him into next week if he ever did that to her again. Still, they were making progress. And she had to admit that the little booger had been right in his actions. She sighed. It was another couple of hours before anything else happened, but then her door burst open and Shizune rushed in.

"My lady, I have terrible news. Asuma Sarutobi is... dead."

Tsunade felt her shoulders slump and her mouth fall open in silent protest. Not Asuma! He'd been rather like a younger brother to her! She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and it seemed that was all the permission Shizune needed to burst into a sobbing mess. Tsunade got up to go to the Intensive Care Unit to see him. She knew he'd still be there, and she knew it wouldn't really be real until she did. Oh God, what about Kurenai and the baby? Not many knew she was pregnant and now she'd be facing motherhood completely alone. When she got there Ino and Choji were consoling each other in the waiting room, Ino sobbing loudly. Even Choji was crying. She walked in numbly and stopped feet from the body that had once been so full of life. She went back outside. She was shaking with anger and she asked the pair through gritted teeth, "Who?"

"Th-the A-ak-katsuk-ki," Ino managed to sob.

"Where's Shikamaru?"

"Kurenai." Choji had said the word quietly, but Ino had heard nevertheless and began crying even harder.

Tsunade wandered towards Kurenai's house in a daze. When she was almost there she ran into someone, quite literally. Upon further inspection she recognized the someone as Naruto. "What's wrong Tsunade?" he asked timidly.

"Asuma's dead. Shikamaru's telling Kurenai now. The Akatsuki killed him." That was all she could say. She vaguely registered the horrified look on his face and then she was in his arms. When did he get so tall? He tucked her head under his chin and rubbed her back. She let herself be soothed and soon was sinking into his warmth and strength.

"I'll get ahold of Jiraiya and see if he can stay for a while. Until things calm down at least. For moral support and all." He told her reassuringly. She nodded, too weak to speak. "We'll have to keep an eye on Shikamaru," he told her quietly. She just nodded again. "It's hard, but we'll survive. We always do." That was when the dam broke and as though from far away she realized that she didn't care anymore.

};~~~ };~~~ };~~~ };~~~ };~~~ };~~~ };~~~ };~~~ (=Rose. Time leap.)

**Shikamaru's POV.**

He kept playing with his lighter. Figures he'd want a last smoke, even if he had been stone cold turkey for almost four months now. Just like him to fall back into bad habits in his time of dying. He couldn't get Ino's anguished cries out of his head. He still felt the tears running down his cheeks. He was walking around like a zombie, but he couldn't seem to care. His mentor was dead. He refused to talk about him with anyone and wouldn't see his teamates. He'd missed his funeral. It had been nearly a weak now and the idea was still to painful to bear.

"Get up." He looked up to see who was talking and found that it was his dad. "You've been neglecting everyone, including your wife, and it's not good for you. Now get up." He tried, but he honestly couldn't. His dad sighed and popped one of his "mints" into his mouth. It took a few minutes for the effects to kick in. Then, with his father's help, he stood. "Come with me." He followed him to the relaxation room and saw the shogi game that was set up there. It brought a painful pang with it and he wanted to turn and run. Instead he sat in front of it and waited for his father. He listened slightly as his father talked, barely observed that he was losing. And then, "Asuma is dead."

His whole world turned on its ear. His heart jolted in his chest and he couldn't breathe. His dad kept saying the same words over and over again until, "Shut up!" Shikamaru was on his feet without realizing it and towering over his father. "Asuma's dead! Asuma's DEAD! He sure is, isn't he? Because of me! Go ahead and say it!"

"Asuma's dead because the Akatsuki killed him. You have nothing to do with it. He IS dead though. And you need to stop tiptoeing around it. Accept it and move on." His father shut the door on his scream of rage he couldn't contain as his tears poured down his face. He slumped to the ground and cried himself out. Then he started planning. If there was one thing he was good at it was shogi.

He left early the next morning to see Choji. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, but then Kurenai's face popped into his head and his resolve strenthened. The image of her collapsing from the news was painful, but it served his purpose. Choji wasn't surprised to see him. As a matter of fact he sounded as though he'd been waiting for it. He agreed to meet him at the gate in half in hour and rushed home to pack. Ino came running out of her flower shop, squealing in delight, even efore he walked through the door. She too said she'd meet him and rushed off. When they were all gathered at the gate and ready to go it seemed as though fate had sent someone to stop them. Shikamaru stared at Kakashi warily.

"I'm coming with you." Shikamaru smiled for the first time in days.

**I had to stick to the show at least some. So come on, own up. Who cried when Asuma died in the anime?**


	13. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Spoilers, though not very important ones...**

**Songs are: All the Small Things by Blink 182, and Best of Me by Sum 41. **

**Chapter Eleven. Naruto's POV.**

It'd been a long week. He'd had to track down Jiraiya, plan a funeral and do all the paperwork that came with a dead shinobi. On top of that he'd had to reinforce security. There was no telling if and when the Akatsuki would strike again. Thank God they had Itachi back. So it was understandable that Naruto was taking a break. He was now practicing with Jiraiya. He found he'd improved since their last mach and was taking pride in the fact that they were practically tied. Jiraiya was laughing and Naruto found himself joining in as he ducked what could have been a serious blow. No one could say that the old man ever held back. They had just summoned their toads in order to have an all out duel; considering they were the only two in the village who had contracts with the toads it excited them when they got to battle it out. Right as they were taking their stances Sasuke came running into the clearing.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have an emergency," he shouted to the both of them. They sighed and released the summons before turning to him.

"We never get to do it," Jiraiya pouted.

"We'll have our duel when we get done with this," Naruto said on a sigh.

"Sorry," Sasuke apologized again, and Naruto heard the sincerity in his voice.

"Don't worry about it. What's up?"

"Shikamaru and his team, along with Kakashi, disappeared without a trace early this morning. Tsunade is fairly certain that they went after the ones who killed Asuma. If so, then they might not come back alive. She wants you to go after them."

Naruto snapped to attention. "Understood. You're coming with me. I need more information. Jiraiya, it's up to you."

"Nah. I just got here, why would I leave so soon? I think I'll just chill here and wait for our match. You can handle it."

Naruto snorted, but he nodded in consent. Sasuke followed him out of the training field. "Kakashi had you sign with Pakkun, right?"

"Yeah. You want me to summon him?"

"Yes please. He'll be our quickest way of finding them." Sasuke bit his thumb and performed the seals. When Pakkun appeared Naruto smiled apologetically. "Sorry to be bugging you so much lately. We need you to find Kakashi."

"That's easy. I know his scent well." He sniffed around for a few minutes then ran off. "Follow me." They both did. When they came upon the others Shikamaru was nowhere in sight. Kakashi and the others were battling their opponent as best they could, but it seemed to be difficult. Suddenly Ino noticed them.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Look out! This guy has four more hearts!"

"Where's Shikamaru?" Naruto called.

"He lured the other one away so that we could use his jutsu against this guy, but it only killed one of his hearts," Kakashi called out while never taking his eyes off of the strange man. "The hair is dangerous by the way," he added.

"Sasuke. Go find Shikamaru and make sure he doesn't need assistance. I'll finish off here." Sasuke nodded and left into the forest. Just then the strange guy slammed Ino and Choji to the ground and pinned Kakashi to a tree with his copious amount of hair. He needed to take this guy out in one stroke, four hearts or not. He quickly made the decision to use his new jutsu. No sooner had he thought it than he'd done it and he was charging at the freak with his Rasen Shuriken. Or rather, one of his shadow clones was. His real body was sneaking up on him from behind preparing another one. The man let go of Kakashi in order to block his shadow clone and Naruto charged. When the jutsu made contact the hairy man lifted into the air and began screaming as his body was literally torn apart. When that was over Naruto fell on his butt, breathing hard.

"When did you finish it?" Kakashi exclaimed.

"The morning I left town. Though I think I overdid it. It's a powerful jutsu and it rebounded a little when it made contact. I wish there was a way I could throw it or something, but it never works when I try it." He saw Kakashi's eyes twitch to his right arm, which was hanging useless at his side, and he waved his left in front of him. "I'm fine, really! I just need to see Tsunade and Kabuto. I've never used it to that extent before, but I've had a lesser reaction to the impact on a few other occasions and they patched me right up."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The concern was evident in the quiet man's voice.

"It wasn't a big deal." Just then Shikamaru and Sasuke returned. When they saw that the weirdo had seemingly disappeared Shikamaru gave him a questioning look. "New jutsu." Shikamaru nodded. "Success?"

"We won't be seeing that man again, immortal or not," he boasted with a smirk.

"Good. Now let's get home. Jiraiya was acting cranky when I left and I think it best we get back quickly." They all laughed. Upon returning he made his way to Tsunade. She was shocked at the damage done to his arm.

"Naruto, I don't think you should use this jutsu anymore. This jutsu uses blades of wind that are sharper than needles to penetrate every cell in your body until there is quite literally nothing left. Just the small amount of rebound you suffered was enough to severely damage your muscles and sever some of your tendons. It will be difficult to use this arm for at least another week or so, and if you continue to use the jutsu you may lose the use of your arm for good."

"I got it. I won't use it until I learn how to throw it."

"That doesn't seem likely," Kakashi pointed out.

"I know, but it'll be a great asset if I learn how to. So I'll keep trying."

Tsunade sighed. "Fine, but don't try it again until you can actually feel your arm, okay?"

"Sure. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to go placate Jiraiya." Laughter followed him out of the room.

**Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke decided he wanted to see the fight and followed discretely behind Naruto. When he finally got to the edge of the clearing he took a seat on one of the tree branches and prepared for a good show. He wished vaguely that he had some popcorn. Voices drifted up to him.

"So, I know your birthday is in two weeks, and I just figured I'd give you these as early gifts," Jiraiya was saying. Sasuke focused on Naruto's hands to see what he'd gotten him. His birthday was in two weeks? Why hadn't he known that? The first thing Sasuke noticed were the peculiar blades that Naruto was holding. Each had a grip in the middle and a blade on each side of the grip. "They're chakra blades, made from the same stuff Asuma uses for his. It's to help you focus your wind energy. They can cut through anything if you control your wind chakra well enough," the older man explained.

"Wow! Thanks Jiraiya!" The blond looked delirously happy. Sasuke knew those precious blades would be going in his secret cubby hole. The next thing Jiraiya gave the boy was a bundle of papers tied together with a small ribbon and a pen set.

"I figured, someday, you might want to write a book of your own," he said gruffly. Naruto threw his arms around the man. Jiraiya smiled happily and hugged him back.

"Thank you... Dad..." Naruto whispered. Sasuke was stunned, as was Jiraiya it seemed, but the man simply tightened his hold.

"Thank _you_, Son." Sasuke felt as though he was intruding and he found himself thinking of his own brother. Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Well? What about that battle? Are you still up for it?" Naruto nodded eagerly. They summoned their toads and each fought with everything they had. Naruto whipped out the new blades and they started glowing blue. He used them in combination with his attacks and somehow barely overpowered his mentor. They laid on the grass and giggled like a couple of girls.

"I think that was our first real battle, you know it?" Naruto said with a snort. "I can't believe I beat you. I guess I was just really pumped to be able to use my new blades. They're amazing by the way."

Jiraiya laughed. "I'm glad you like them. And I'm not surprised you won, just so you know." Two sighs could be heard as they both closed their eyes and drifted off in the moment. Sasuke had never felt so cozy. His eyes bolted open

again when he heard Naruto's voice drift up to him.

"All the small things. True care truth brings. I'll take one lift. Your ride best trip. Always I know you'll be at my show. Watching, waiting, commiserating. Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home. Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na. Late night, come home. Work sucks, I know. She left me roses by the stairs. Surprises let me know she cares. Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home. Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na. Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home. Keep your head still, I'll be your thrill, the night will go on, my little windmill. Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home. Keep your head still, I'll be your thrill, the night will go on, the night will go on, my little windmill." Sasuke had seen Jiraiya's mouth curve into a smile as soon as he'd recognized the song. Sasuke had to admit to himself, albeit ruefully, that he was practically purring from the joy he felt at finally hearing Naruto sing again. He'd been having a very difficult time sleeping without it. He relaxed as yet another song floated up to him. It didn't hurt to spy every once in a while.

When Sasuke got home he skipped the kitchen and went straight to his bedroom... where a radio was playing. There was a picture of Itachi and him when they were younger on top of it. "It's so hard to say that I'm sorry. I'll make everything alright. All these things that I've done. Now what have I become and where'd I go wrong? I don't mean to hurt, just to put you first, I won't tell you lies, I'm sorry. I will stand accused with my hand on my heart. I'm just trying to say: I'm sorry. It's all that I can say. You mean so much and I'd fix all that I've done if I could start again. I'd throw it all away to the shadows of regrets and you would have the best of me. I know that I can't take back all of the mistakes, but I will try. Although it's not easy I know you believe me 'cause I would not lie. Don't believe their lies told from jealous eyes. They don't understand, I'm sorry. I will break your heart, I will bring you down, but I will have to say: I'm sorry. It's all that I can say. You mean so much and I'd fix all that I've done if I could start again. I'd throw it all away to the shadows of regrets and you would have the best of me. I'm sorry. It's all that I can say. You mean so much and I'd fix all that I've done if I could start again. I'd throw it all away to the the shadows of regrets and you would have the best of me." Sasuke felt all the anger he still felt towards his brother leave him. With a sigh he got up and left once again, walking down the road to the place where Itachi was staying. He did the secret knock and waited for the response. When it came he opened the door and stepped in.

"Come home Itachi," he murmured quietly. Itachi reached for him hesitantly and Sasuke decided that if he was going to forgive him then he had to do it all the way. He allowed the hug and even gripped his brother's shirt in return.

"I've missed you," Itachi said simply.

"Yeah, now that I'm not mad anymore, I realize I've missed you too," Sasuke responded, stepping back.

"When I can be out in the open again, do you want to do some training together? I never really got around to it and it's one of the things I have regretted throughout the years."

Sasuke smiled ever so slightly. "I'd like that." Itachi followed him home and Sasuke went to sleep with that same small smile on his face. _Thank you, Naruto._

**I've started a new story, so check it out if you're interested. It's called Why Me? A lot of the elements and scenes are real, so it may be a little unsettling, but I'm planning for the story to me mostly angst. No big conflicts or anything. If you have any questions about it feel free to pm me. **


	14. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Twelve. Itachi's POV.**

Naruto had come to see him in order to go over the plans with him. He'd decided that he wanted to do it soon and he just wanted to make sure that everything sounded good once again before he called the Five Kage's Summit he had planned on. Itachi reassured him that it was a sound plan, all the while remembering the conversation he'd had with Sasuke yesterday.

"_What would you say if I told you I might be gay?"_

_ "I'd say that you should tell him that you like him."_

_ "Who said I like anyone?" Sasuke had demanded._

_ "Why else would you _think _you _might_ be gay?" he'd asked and Sasuke had scowled._

_ "Okay, so I like someone, or I think I do. Big deal."_

_ "So why haven't you told him yet?"_

_ "It's complicated. He told me he's been in love with someone for more than six years now, but he hasn't ever said anything to him and doesn't plan to. On the one hand, it could be someone who's married or in a relationship and he doesn't want to ruin anything. On the other hand, the person could be completely free to be in a relationship with him. Either way though, he still loves him, right? So why should I put myself out there when he could never love me?" _

_ "Who says the reason he won't tell you who it is isn't because it's you?"_

_ "Right. Like he would have been in love with me all these years. I'm pretty sure he sees me as a brother."_

_ "Is this your first crush?"_

_ "Well, I've been in other relationships, of course, but they never lasted very long. He's the first one I've felt like this about, and definitely the first boy."_

_ "Hm. I'll have to think on it and give you my advice later." Sasuke had glared at him before going back to his breakfast._

"Naruto, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah. Shoot."

"Who is it that you've loved for so long?"

"Who told you I'm in love with someone?" Naruto demanded angrily. He was quite like Sasuke in that respect.

"Well, Sasuke mentioned something about a friend of his he wanted to help, and I figured it was you. He said you told him you've loved this person for more than six years now. That's a long time to go without telling them, don't you think?"

"That's none of your business. And I told your brother that I don't plan on telling that person, so I wish he would just drop it."

Of course, being an Uchiha, Itachi knew that Sasuke was slowly making his way home and would arrive any minute. He decided to speed things up. "Why did you bring me back?"

"I told you. I didn't want Sasuke leaving the village right now."

"Are you sure you weren't just protecting him? Maybe you were worried that he'd go after me and your information would be wrong? Perhaps you feared he might not come back?"

"What are you getting at Itachi?"

"Why'd you come after me Naruto?"

"Dammit Itachi - "

"Who are you in love with Naruto?"

"That is none of - "

"Why'd you come get me Naruto? Admit it, you did it for Sasuke, not for yourself."

"Itachi!"

"Who is it Naruto? Why'd you do it?"

"It's Sasuke, okay? Are you happy now? I did it because I'm in love with Sasuke and I wanted him to be happy! Is that what you wanted to hear?" Naruto fumed.

Itachi pointed to a spot behind Naruto. "It's what he wanted to hear," he stated calmly. He watched Naruto's eyes widen in horror as it dawned on him, saw him turn slowly to look at the person behind him. He took in Sasuke's stunned face and Naruto's pained expression. And watched sadly as Naruto took off, leaving Sasuke to stand and watch his retreating form.

Sasuke turned to him. "Did he just say what I think he said?" he managed in little more than a whisper.

"Yes. He said he loves you. I told you Otouto."

Sasuke was shaking his head in disbelief. "How did I not know that?"

"You were too preoccupied to see it. I just helped you a little. Are you going to go after him?"

"I doubt I could catch him even if I wanted to. As it happens, I think I'll let him calm down a little before I see him. I'll go after him tomorrow."

"What are you going to do then?" Itachi asked curiously as Sasuke started to leave.

"Go talk to Hinata." He made his way to the door, his back to his brother, but Itachi heard the softly spoken words as he left. "Thank you, Nii-san."

**Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke was still dazed from what he'd learned. It was a relief to realize that he could tell Naruto how he felt, even more of a relief that there was practically no chance of being turned down. However, it was overwhelming to have years worth of bottled up feelings all directed toward him. He had to get some advice.

"Oh. Hello Sasuke. What brings you here?" Hinata asked, closing the book she'd been reading and standing up to greet him.

"Is Naruto in love with me? He shouted it at Itachi, rather angrily as a matter of fact, but I don't know if he was being serious or just telling Itachi what he wanted to hear." He only realized after he'd said it that she might not know about Itachi, but he figured with her being Naruto's friend and Kiba's girlfriend one of them had to have told her.

"Oh dear, that is bad isn't it? Well, it's not really my place to say, but no he wasn't just telling Itachi what he wanted to hear."

"So he really is in love with me?" She gave him a sympathetic look. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"

"He cares about you too much to lose you as a friend."

"Did he really think I'd ruin our friendship over something like that?"

It was Hinata's turn to look confused. "You mean it doesn't bother you?" she asked, her tone shocked.

"Of course not. It's actually a relief because I was starting to have feelings for him too lately, but I was worried I'd never measure up."

Hinata's eyes widened. "You mean, you're gay?"

"Well, I think there's a very good possibility, considering how I feel about Naruto."

"Why didn't you tell him that when you heard what he said?" she asked carefully.

"He ran off. I figured I'd let him have the rest of the day to get over his embarassment and show up at his place tomorrow to talk."

"He probably went to Iruka's place," she said. "I think you are probably right about giving him some time. But don't give him too long, or he might convince himself that he doesn't need you after all."

His heart clenched painfully. "No, I won't give him too long." She smiled at him, once again sympathetically, but this time he knew it was for a completely different reason.

"Good luck!" She said happily and went inside. He heard her telling Kiba excitedly and shook his head. If he wasn't careful, the whole town would know before Naruto did. He went to go train, hoping to pass the time quickly.

When he got to the training grounds he found Jiraiya sitting there against one of the posts, eyes closed as though in sleep. He was about to leave so as not to disturb the man, but the ninja said, "Where are you going? You just got here."

Sasuke turned to see that the man's eyes were now open and he was looking right at him. "I thought you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you."

"Nah. I was just enjoying the weather today. What brings you here?"

"I was just going to train, get rid of a little stress. Just to pass the time."

"Did you have a fight with Naruto?" the man asked wisely.

"What makes you say that?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

Jiraiya laughed. "Because you looked like someone had kicked your puppy when I asked you that."

"Oh," Sasuke muttered and he could feel the blood rushing to his face. He tried desperately to stop it, but knew he had failed when Jiraiya's chuckles got louder.

"Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough. He can't stay mad at you, you know."

"Has everyone known about this aside from me?" Sasuke demanded furiously.

"Known about what?"

"That Naruto is in love with me."

"Yeah, pretty much. The question is, how do you know Mr. Oblivious?" Jiraiya asked suspiciously.

"He kind of shouted it at It- um, I mean, someone as I was walking up to them and he didn't see me."

"You're brother's pretty smart. He probably set that whole thing up just so that he'd be forced to tell you. Remind me to thank him. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Sasuke wasn't all that Surprised that he knew about Itachi. "Wait until tomorrow then go talk to him."

"He'd probably prefer you kiss him silly."

Sasuke knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't seem to care enough to close it after the pervert's previous statement. "That's entirely none of your business."

"Of course it is. He's like a son to me, or maybe even a grandson thought I hate to admit it, and I just want him to be happy."

"Are you going to tell me he'd prefer I screw him silly next?" Sasuke snapped.

"Well, now that you mention it..." The old man trailed off suggestively then started guffawing once again. Sasuke shook his head in mock disgust, but on the inside he was laughing too. He knew the man didn't really mean it and that he was just being true to his character. It wasn't hard to read between the lines. With his simple suggestion that Sasuke kiss him instead of talk to him he'd managed to threaten him in a way so subtle some may not have caught it. It was his way of saying, "If you reject my boy I'll make you sorry." Sasuke decided that the man would find out soon enough even without him telling him that he had no intention of rejecting Naruto.

**Question: Does anyone want a straight sex scene? If so, which pairing? I already have everyone paired up in my head, so I'll pick the one that goes along with my thought process the best. :D**


	15. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Songs are: Rise Above This by Seether and Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.**

**Chapter Thirteen. Iruka's POV.**

Iruka was in the process of making lunch when a loud comotion came from the living room. He put down the lettuce he'd been rinsing and ran towards the sound only to find an out of breath Naruto bent over in his living room. As soon as the boy saw him he launched himself into his arms. Iruka held him securely and wondered what was wrong. Naruto didn't hug him often. Then he felt him trembling and heard a few sniffles and he figured it must be Sasuke. He led him to the couch and sat with him, waiting until the tears subsided.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"Itachi. He kept asking... I got angry. Should have known it was a setup. What if he hates me now? What if he doesn't want to be around me because he's uncomfortable? What do I do?" He was practically begging at the end there. He was gazing up at Iruka with puffy eyes, clearly hoping that he held the answers.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm not sure I fully understand the dilemma." He rubbed his back soothingly.

"Itachi knew somehow and he wanted me to admit it. I didn't realize, but he provoked me into it when I didn't do it willingly. I shouted it at him and then all of a sudden Sasuke was there and he was just staring at me in shock and I couldn't face him so I ran. What do I do? He's probably disgusted. I bet he hates me now," he finished defeatedly.

Oh. That couldn't be good. "Naruto, I know this is scary, but I'm sure you're making mountains out of mole hills. Even if he doesn't feel that way for you, and I'll grant that he might be a little confused about how he feels about you feeling those things for him, but he's a good friend and he won't just abandon you. He may try to have a talk with you, and it may not be a fun one, but I think you guys can overcome this. At the very least, he'll still be in your life. Don't worry so much. I know he'll do the right thing." Iruka hoped that every word out of his mouth didn't turn out to be a lie. If it did, he'd sic Kakashi on that boy. He tightened his hold briefly and then helped the blond to sit up straight. "Why don't you spend the day with me? Kakashi is coming over for lunch here soon and I was just making BLT's. Would you like one?" Naruto nodded at him. "Okay. Why don't you go wash your face and try to put this behind you."

He left to go make more bacon and finish washing the lettuce. He remembered that Naruto also liked cheese on his and added it to the jumble. When he brought the sandwiches out Kakashi and Naruto were playing shogi. Iruka sighed in relief. He could always count on Kakashi to pick the right thing to cheer the boy up. He watched them interestedly and observed that Kakashi was winning. He frowned at that. Naruto really must be feeling down to be losing so badly. It was usually a rare thing for Kakashi to win against Naruto. When the game was finally over Naruto demanded a rematch. When he won that round Iruka felt immensely better.

"Lunch time!" he announced and the two people he cared about most in his life flocked to him eagerly. They both scarfed down two sandwiches and drank some tea to wash it down. Iruka ate one sandwich and watched them with amusement as he sipped his own tea. When Naruto went to meditate Kakashi pulled him aside.

"What's up with him?" he murmured so that Naruto wouldn't be able to hear in the other room.

Iruka sighed. "Sasuke found out, in a rather unorthodox way I might add, that Naruto's in love with him. He was so appalled that he ran away, and now he's stressing about it. I told him that even if Sasuke is a little freaked he won't ditch him as a friend. If that turns out to be a lie I want you to beat him up, just so we're clear." He watched as Kakashi tried to muffle a laugh.

"I just talked to Hinata. She says that Sasuke came to her to confess his feelings for Naruto and was giving him the day to get over his embarrassment before he was going to tell him himself. I thought that might be the problem, but I was just making sure. Don't worry Iruka. Sasuke isn't going to hurt your boy."

Iruka felt himself relax. "Good. Naruto doesn't need that right now. He's already got his hands full with this plan of his."

"I'll agree with you there. He's already asked me for my assistance and I said yes." Iruka felt his heart sink. So they were _both_ going into battle. He sighed and rested his forehead on Kakashi's chest. The older man rubbed his arms reassuringly. "I will come back Iruka. Naruto's plan is practically flawless and Shikamaru helped him come up with it. Even if the other Kage's won't agree to help we'll still be okay. Don't worry about us so much."

"It's hard. I'm here all the time because I chose to become a teacher. It was my passion and I don't regret it, but it's still hard to watch you guys walk away all the time. I never know if you'll be coming back and it kills me inside."

Kakashi kissed him tenderly. "We are both going to come back. So stop worrying and sit down so I can give you a massage." Iruka laughed and sat on the couch, trying desperately not to think of the big event that was looming on the horizon. Naruto rejoined them nearly an hour later and they all sat and talked well into the night. It was after midnight when Naruto left with a quiet "thank you" and Kakashi stood to leave too.

Iruka grabbed his arm and Kakashi looked down at him questioningly. "Stay. Please. Forever? Move in with me. I've always wondered what it would be like to sleep next to you and I know I'm ready to enjoy it for the rest of my life." He waited, holding his breath, for Kakashi's answer. The progress in Naruto's love life had made him feel bold and he wasn't going to back down now when he knew the feeling would fade soon.

Kakashi was looking at him strangely. "Okay," he finally murmured and Iruka's heart rate spiked. "But you have to help me pack." Kakashi smiled gorgeously at him and he let himself be led by the older man into the bedroom. Instead of doing what he thought they would though, Iruka found himself being spooned. And it was definately better than he'd imagined.

**Sasuke's POV.**

Despite knowing that his feelings were returned, tenfold in fact, he hadn't been able to sleep last night due to nervousness. He finally got out of bed around eight o'clock and got dressed for the day. He ate breakfast slowly, wondering what time Naruto normally woke up. His brother was watching him with a strange expression on his face as he finished his breakfast and when he stood to leave he was stopped by the sound of Itachi's voice.

"Good luck." Somehow hearing him say that made him even more nervous.

He gulped. "Thanks." On his way to Naruto's apartment he wondered what he was going to say to him. He'd thought about it all night, but he still wasn't sure. Jiraiya's words kept running through his head. Perhaps he should just kiss him, get the first time over with. He arrived at his destination way too soon, but as he neared the door he heard music coming from inside. Instead of knocking he tried the door knob. As it had been the last time he'd done that it was unlocked and he opened the door and stepped in, quickly shutting it behind him. What he saw fascinated him so much that he kept silent. Naruto, stiring the batter for pancakes, was dancing and singing to the song that was coming out of the radio speakers with his eyes closed and his face turned up ever so slightly.

"Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspoken. For all we know, this void will grow and everything's in vain. Distressing you though it leaves me open. Feels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me. Call your name every day, when I feel so helpless. I'm falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this. Call your name every day, when I seem so helpless. I'm falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt. I'll mend myself before it gets me. I'll mend myself before it gets me. I'll mend myself before it gets me. I'll mend myself before it gets me! Call your name every day, when I feel so helpless. I'm falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this. Forty-eight ways to say that I'm feeling helpless. Falling down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this, rise above this, rise above this doubt!"

The implications of the feeling he put into the lyrics made Sasuke hurt and he couldn't stay away anymore. He had to make things right. So he did what Jiraiya had suggested. He grabbed a surprisingly oblivious Naruto by the arms, spun him around, and kissed him silly. If he hadn't had cat like reflexes the batter would have crashed to the floor. Instead he caught it when it slipped from Naruto's hands and set it carefully on the counter. Then he pulled the adorable blond closer and gently prodded at his lips with his tongue. After the shock wore off Naruto's arms slid around his shoulders and he opened his mouth to allow the raven to deepen the kiss. Sasuke didn't waste time. He quickly began exploring his delicious mouth. It tasted like snickerdoodles* which made him wonder what Naruto had been eating lately. He felt when the kiss turned desperate on Naruto's end and he lightened it until he was able to pull away. He didn't want it to be like that. He wanted him to enjoy it. He leaned his forehead against the blond's and tried to catch his breath. It was then that he recognized the song that had just started and he smiled.

"When I see your smile, tears roll down my face. I can't replace. And now that I'm stong I have figured out, how this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul. And I know I'll find, deep inside me I can be the one. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay." He knew his voice wasn't as good as Naruto's, but he figured this was the best way to say what he couldn't put words to. "Seasons are changing and waves are crashing and stars are falling all for us. Days grow longer and nights grow shorter, I can show you I'll be the one. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. 'Cause you're my, you're my, my. My true love, my whole heart please don't throw that away. 'Cause I'm here for you. Please don't walk away and please tell me you'll stay, woah. Stay, woah. Use me as you will. Pull my strings just for a thrill. And I know I'll be okay. Though my skies are turning gray. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven." Sasuke kissed him again as the music faded out and then turned off the radio. Naruto looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Please don't cry. I never meant to upset you. I just wanted to let you get over being embarrassed. Honest. You can ask Hinata, or Jiraiya. I told them both the same thing yesterday." And then he couldn't apologize anymore because Naruto was kissing him. He let the younger boy have control and was surprised at how timid he was. Every touch, every movement felt cautious, as though he was afraid that Sasuke would run away. Sasuke moaned low in his throat to let him know that he wasn't going anywhere. He'd never kissed anyone this shy before; all the girls he'd dated had been pretty assertive. He decided it was a nice change. Any doubts he'd had about whether or not he'd like kissing a boy were gone, because he knew now that he he did like it, very much. He gently reached out and ran his fingers through the surprisingly soft golden hair and pressed his body against the teen. He felt Naruto's instant hesitation, but the younger boy finally seemed to melt against him.

He pulled away with a contented sigh and said, "Will you go on a date with me tonight?" He watched as his eyes seemed to light up and a beautiful smile spread across his face.

"I'd like that."

"Good. Now, let's finish the pancakes before the smoke alarm starts going off at the empty pan. And you can tell me exactly when you fell in love with me." The boy blushed, but agreed nonetheless.

** *I don't know if they even have snickerdoodles in "Naruto-land", but they're my favorite so I had to put them in. They're what I eat when I'm depressed (and happy, and hungry, and angry... you get the picture).**


	16. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Thanks for all the reviews/favorites/follows guys. It means a lot. **

**Chapter Fourteen. Naruto's POV.**

He was going to pass out. He had changed and rechanged his clothes so many times he'd lost count and now he was sitting helplessly on his bed waiting for Sasuke to knock on his door again. Sasuke had left just after breakfast and he couldn't help but stress about what he'd told him.

_ "So, when exactly _did _you fall in love with me Naruto?"_

_ "Well... Don't laugh, okay?" Sasuke nodded. "When Jiraiya brought me into town with him when I was around ten I saw this gorgeous person with black hair and dark eyes and he smiled at me absently. It was the smile that did it. Even when I realized you weren't a girl i didn't care. I started dreaming of that day and pretty soon that boy was a huge part of my life. When we were put on the same team together I wasn't even sure if it was you, but then you smiled at me and I knew."_

_ "Wow. That's incredible. Talk about love at first sight. I'm really glad you were put on my team." And then he'd cleared the table, helped do dishes and left._

Now Naruto was hyperventilating. Maybe he should have gone to see Iruka, but his encounter with Jiraiya had been far too embarrassing and he was worried that Iruka might do something eerily similar. He shuddered when he remembered the humiliating conversation. He'd come to check on Naruto and laughed when he saw the goofy grin on his face.

_"I take it this has something to do with Sasuke? I didn't think he would have been over this early. What happened?"_

_ "He kissed me. I was making breakfast and singing to my depression CD and then I was pinned against the counter and he was kissing me. I didn't even hear him come in. And then he asked me on a date tonight."_

_ Jiraiya laughed. "So it wasn't such a crazy idea after all. Well, I'm glad. It's about time. Um, there's something we need to talk about; I've been avoiding it, but it can't wait any longer."_

_ "What?" Naruto asked worriedly. _

_ "Well. I don't know how much you know about, uh, sex..."_

_ "Ewww. Please stop. I already asked Kakashi. I know enough. I think." He realized he might not and wavered for a moment, but then shook his head. He'd figure it out through trial and error. _

_ "Oh. Okay. Thank God. Well, um, you're still going to need these. Unless Kakashi already did that too." And he was holding out small square packets and a bottle of liquid. _

_ "What are those?"_

_ "Oh damn. Aparently he didn't explain everything." The man sighed wearily. "These are condoms. They go on your, uh, you know." He looked uncomfortable. "It would be neglectful of me not to show you how to use them though. Do you have a banana by any chance?"_

_ "Well, what do they do?" Naruto asked cuiriously. _

_ "Well, for women it helps to keep them from getting pregnant or getting diseases. Just the diseases thing for men though. So that you don't die from anything and you don't carry it on to your next, uh, partner."_

_ "Well, Kyuubi won't let me die from a disease, and I only plan on having one partner, so don't worry about it."_

_ "It's safer if you use them anyway."_

_ "Please just drop it. I'll keep them, and if it makes Sasuke feel better to use them I will. Okay?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "So what's the bottle?"_

_ "It's lubrication. It's used to, uhhhhhh, to, um, help get them ready. It can be extremely painful if you don't get them a little loosened up first, and this helps."_

_ Naruto felt himself pale at the mention of pain. "How do you use it?" he asked, wanting to make sure that neither of them was ever in any pain. _

_ "You, uh, put some on your fingers and it, er, goes, you know, inside." Jiraiya was turning red from holding his breath._

_ "Oh." Naruto was mortified. He'd give anything to melt into the ground right now. No way was he hugging Jiraiya before he left._

_ "Anyways, go ask Kakashi if you need more than that. Any more from me and I'll have a heart attack, and not from pleasure that's for sure." He stuffed the things into Naruto's hands and made a quick exit._

Naruto groaned and slapped his hand over his face. He'd never be able to look the man in the eye again. That was just too much. There was a knock on his door immediately following his back's descent to the bed he'd been sitting on for a while now. He shot up once more and slowly went to open the door. He fretted about his outfit one more time, but he made himself let it go. In the end, he'd ended up wearing all black with an orange belt to contrast it. He looked like a halloween character. Tight black pants, form fitting short sleeved black shirt tucked into his pants. Black shoes even. Just that orange belt stood in the way of his solidity. He took deep calming breaths. He'd actually brushed his hair for this.

"Wow Naruto. You look really cute," Sasuke greeted.

Naruto nearly keeled over. "Thanks. You look hansome too." And he did. He was wearing black and red insted of his usual blue and white. His pants were slightly revealing in their tightness and he found himself staring at the poweful legs that were nicely accentuated beneath the black material. His red shirt was a little billowy, kind of like Neji's clothes tended to be, and revealed his collar bone. Naruto nearly groaned as he felt the stir of attraction he'd become so familiar with. Now he understood it better though, and he fought tooth and nail against his blush. He barely won the battle. "We should get going I guess."

Sasuke smiled and held out his hand. Naruto took it, feeling the older boy entertwine their fingers. He barely contained a happy sigh. They walked for a while and Naruto realized they'd entered the Uchiha compound. Sasuke pulled him along to a little restaurant he'd never known existed and gently pushed him inside. There was a single table in the middle of the room with a candle in the center. Itachi was standing next to it in an eloquent outfit and Naruto grinned at the sight of his professional and impersonal expression. "Sorry. He begged," Sasuke explained.

"I don't mind." He turned to Itachi and looked him straight in the eye. "Thank you Itachi."

"Don't mention it," he said, cracking a smile. They sat down and Naruto ordered off the menu. He tried some sort of pasta thing, it sounded really buttery.

"What do we talk about?" Naruto queried.

"Anything you'd like."

"I didn't go to the academy. Tell me about that."

"Well, back in those days Choji, Shikamaru and Kiba were terrors. They would always cause some sort of commotion in the class room, and they regularly snuck out of class resulting in Iruka chasing them down. I was top grades in the class and had trouble making them, but once I let myself be close to people it wasn't hard. Sakura and Ino both had severe crushes on me, and I got a lot of resentment from the guys about that. Shino was Shino. Hinata was Hinata. They haven't changed a bit in all these years. I passed the ninja exam first try. And then I met you."

"That sounds so fun," Naruto said wistfully.

"You were off doing your own training with Jiraiya though. I bet that was fun."

"It had it's moments. For the most part though, I wish I'd gone to the academy instead. It was revenge training, but instead of using it for revenge, it took it's own revenge on me for learning it in the first place. I kill at the sight of blood, usually mine, but even my teamates will set me off. I became, in every aspect of the word, an assassin. It's instinct for me now. I can survive just about anywhere in the world for an indefinite amount of time and I can kill a man more ways than I care to count. I became closer to Jiraiya, which I'm thankful for, but that was the only real plus to the whole mess I created. If he'd been training me just to train me it might have turned out much better."

"I'm sorry Naruto. That must be hard. You saved my life though, don't forget that. So the training did pay off some. Don't doubt yourself so much. I mean, look what you've accomplished in such a short amount of time."

"Thanks Sasuke." Before the boy could answer Itachi arrived with their food and Naruto dug in. It was buttery, and extremely delicious. He savored every bite. They made talked a lot through the meal and then wished Itachi goodnight when Sasuke led him out into the streets.

"I had a great time tonight Naruto."

"Me too Sasuke. Thank you for going to all that trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. And Itachi was tripping over himself with joy. It was rather funny to watch." They'd arrived at Naruto's appartment. "I guess this is where we part ways. I hope I'll see you at training tomorrow."

"Absolutely. However, there is something important I need to talk to you about. I am going to be leaving soon with Tsunade for a five kage summit and I was wondering if you wanted to come along."

Sasuke looked first surprised and then grateful. "I'd love to." He smiled sweetly at Naruto then leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. Naruto sighed into the kiss and felt himself melting all over again. Sasuke pulled away. "Thank you for a wonderful night. Goodnight Naruto."

"Goodnight, Sasuke." He shut the door behind him and walked over to his bed. Where he rapidly face planted. He thought of how suddenly his wildest dreams had come true and discovered a sneaking feeling of dread that he was only dreaming this too. What if he was? He didn't care. As long as he never woke up he'd be happy with only a dream. He couldn't sleep, not after that kiss, so he decided to write his two friends over in Suna a letter. He told Gaara of his breakthrough with Sasuke and how it had happened and told him to relay his hello to Neji as well as anything else he might be interested in. After that he sat down on his floor and meditated, something he'd been doing since Jiraiya had taught him how. Somehow he couldn't clear his mind of one Sasuke Uchiha. He managed to get everything else out, but against the white backdrop that he imagined when he possessed an empty mind, there was Sasuke, laughing and grinning and reaching out his hand. With a sigh Naruto got up and dropped back onto the bed. Tonight was going to be a restless one.


	17. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Fifteen. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke had been enjoying this last week with Naruto. Sure he was busy quite a bit and even needed Sasuke's help on occasion, but the time they did get together was wonderful. They'd been on two more dates since their first and Naruto seemed to really be opening up. Sakura had caught him at their practice session the day after he'd first taken Naruto out and squeeled about it for a few minutes. Hinata had come to see him and tell him she was glad he'd managed to make things work. Jiraiya smiled at him every time he saw him and Iruka came to visit Kakashi at work just so that he could hug Sasuke tightly which greatly amused Kakashi. All of their friends had taken them bowling as a congratulations. No one seemed to have a problem with it. Even Tsunade winked at him whenever she ran into him. It wasn't until their second date that it really hit home. He was dating the Hokage. He'd become nervous and flustered, even a little inferior, but he'd quickly snapped out of it when he remembered that Naruto had fallen in love with him even before he was the Hokage and accepted him for who he was.

This whole plan to take down The Foundation made him sweat when he thought about it. Even if he hadn't been dating Naruto long he still cared deeply for him. He'd cared for him even before it had been romantic. The thought of anything happening to him scared him silly. He knew he was going as well and he was glad to be able to get revenge for Itachi, but he hoped he'd be able to stay close to his little blond. Tonight was the last night before they put the plan into action and they were going on one last date. He decided not to consider it a last date and made up his mind to make firm plans for another one before the night was over. Naruto insisted on paying every other date and it drove him crazy, but he let the boy because he had some self esteem issues and pitching in helped him. He only had five more days until Naruto's birthday and he knew exactly what he was getting him, though he thought it best to wait until they returned from the mission. The thought of people breaking into Naruto's house and ruining it while they were gone made him angry, but sadly it was a very big possibility. He sighed. He just hoped they would finish everything before his birthday rolled around.

He got off his bed, deciding it was time to stop being lazy, and got dressed. Just because they had a date tonight didn't mean he couldn't spend the rest of the day with him as well. He told Itachi not to wait up for him because he was planning to be out late and then made his way to Naruto's office. He went in via Tusnade's office because that was the only way in so that she could just pass it off as a closet or something. Tsunade winked at him again. He shook his head in amusement. He snuck into the room and made his way around the room so that he could come up on Naruto from behind. He thought he'd done a pretty good job of hiding his presence, but just as he was about to pounce, "Can I help you with anything Sasuke?" His shoulders slumped and he pouted a little. Naruto hadn't even turned around. He was still doing paperwork.

"Yeah, come with me." He struck a pose that clearly said no wasn't an option and waited for Naruto to turn around.

"You look like you have a stick up your butt. Uncross your arms and slouch a little, will you?"

"How the hell do you know what I look like if you haven't even looked at me?" he exclaimed. Naruto gestured to a small mirror on his desk that was positioned so that he could easily watch his blind spot. Damn. From the back it looked like a picture frame and he'd always just assumed it was. He'd never paid much attention to what was on Naruto's desk before. "Well you still have to come with me," Sasuke said petulantly as he relaxed his stance.

Naruto laughed and finally turned around, laying his pencil on his desk. "Where to?"

"It's a surprise. Please?"

Naruto sighed and Sasuke knew he'd won. He made sure to keep his face expressionless. "Fine. Let's go." He did a victory dance in his head. They left and he purposefully ignored whatever Tsunade called after them in that weird singsong voice. He led Naruto out of the village which caused the younger boy to raise his eyebrows, but he said nothing and continued to blindly follow Sasuke. The raven was pleased at how much he seemed to trust him. After almost half an hour of leisurely walking they came upon a small town... and a festival. He loved the way his blond's eyes lit up at the sight.

They went on the ferris wheel, used darts to pop ballons and rode a rollercoster. He watched while Naruto won a Koi fish. Sasuke bought them each a cotton candy and insisted on getting anything he noticed that Naruto had his eye on. When they finally left as the sun started to go down and the lanterns were lit Naruto had aquired a fish, a small painting, a silky white shirt, a funny hat, some metal bracelets, a henna tatoo, and a new CD. Sasuke had also gotten a henna tatoo. They'd each gotten two halves of a picture. Naruto's was a pertty garden that was clearly thriving under the beautifully designed sun. Sasuke's was the other half of the garden and it was gleaming in the light from the dazzling moon. They got them on their wrists.

"So, what are you going to do with the fish?"

"It's not for me. I'm giving it to my student."

"Student?" Sasuke asked, surprised. Naruto had taught someone?

"Yeah. Konohamaru. I met him when I first became a ninja. He was obnoxious and took things for granted. I taught him the beauty of life and all the miracles in it. I've been slowly teaching ever since. He can do the rasengan already. He's so talented."

"I don't recognize his name. Who is he?"

"He was the Third's grandson and he wants to be Hokage someday too. He's currently Ebisu's student."

"Have you ever thought about teaching? I mean you have jounin status. It is possible."

"Yeah, well, I'd love to, but most parents would rather their kids drop out than train under me. I figure I'll wait until some of our friends have kids so I can teach them."

"You shouldn't have to wait. The way the villagers treat you really piss me off."

"I'm sorry. They might treat you that way because we're together you know," he whispered.

"I'm ready for that," Sasuke said confidently, giving him a swift kiss.

"Hey Sasuke? Can I keep this stuff at your house until after the mission?"

"Sure. You can whatever you'd like at my house."

"Thank you." They'd reached a house that Sasuke wasn't familiar with and Naruto was walking up the sidewalk. He knocked on the door.

"Ah, Naruto. You must want to see Konohamaru. Give me one moment to fetch him," the man who answered the door said with a genuine smile. A moment later a boy about twelve years old came out.

"Naruto nii-san! I haven't seen you in so long! You really should come by more often," the boy said while laughing. He gave Naruto a big hug. Naruto grinned and held him back.

"Have you been keeping up your new jutsu?"

"Sure have. Want me to show it to you tomorrow?"

"I won't be here tomorrow, but I'd like to see it when I get back."

"Okay. So what are you doing here?"

"Well, I just wanted to bring you this." Naruto held up the bag with the fish in it. Konohamaru looked delighted.

"Thank you Nii-san."

"Don't mention it. Oh, yeah. Konohamaru this is Sasuke. Sasuke, Konohamaru."

"I'm one of Naruto's students," the boy said proudly. Then he frowned. "I've asked Ebisu why Naruto can't just teach us all the time and he says it would cause trouble with him, but he is my teacher nonetheless. I don't care what anybody says."

"I think he must be a good teacher for you to be so adamant," Sasuke said.

"He is. He's the best." He smiled up at Naruto. "Well, I got to get back inside. It's our family time."

"I understand. I'll see you after I get back, okay?"

"Yep. Goodnight Nii-san."

"Goodnight Konohamaru." The boy went inside and Ebisu waved goodbye. Naruto waved back.

"I didn't know Ebisu was related to the Third," Sasuke mused.

"He's not. Konohamaru's parents died when he was very young and Ebisu adopted him after the Third died."

"That's sad. I'm glad someone took him in though."

"Yeah, me too." Naruto smiled happily at him and he smiled affectionately in return. They were eating at Ichiraku's tonight because he knew it was Naruto's favorite and he figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to get used to eating here. They had a nice dinner and talked a lot. Surprisingly they hadn't run out of things to talk about yet. Toward's the end of the date he made Naruto promise to do it again when they got back. The younger boy was eager to make that promise.

"So, tonight's the last night. Before the infiltration that is."

"Yeah." Sasuke watched his face fall slightly.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, covering Naruto's hand with his.

"Not for myself. It's just, I know that The Foundation is strong. I'm leading people I care about and people I swore to protect into danger and it's hard. I could lose somebody and it would eat at me every day for the rest of my life." He sighed. Sasuke put his arms around the blond.

"Don't worry. We'll get through it. We're strong. We can do this. It has to be done. It's gone on long enough. Too long." Naruto nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"

There was a very defined hesitation and he got a little anxious. "Come home with me," Naruto murmured quietly.

"You mean walk you home?" he asked, confused.

"No come home with me. Stay with me." Naruto still wouldn't look at him. Sasuke was a little surprised by the request.

"You don't want to be alone tonight?"

Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes and the raven sucked his breath in at the heat he saw in the azure beauties. "Sasuke. Come home with me." And Sasuke finally understood. He gulped. Was he ready to take that step? He looked into the eyes of the boy who'd come to mean so much to him. Yes. He was ready.

"Okay." He stood and held out his hand to the blond. After only a second's uncertainty Naruto grabbed it and walked quietly out of the restaurant with him.

**You know you've been waiting for it. Hope you enjoy. **


	18. Restricted Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Warning: Boyxboy. Don't like don't read. This is rated MA for eighteen and older only!**

***Restricted Chapter* YAOI! Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke silently followed Naruto into his apartment and waited. Naruto was flustered and wouldn't look him in the eye, something he didn't like one bit. Ever since he'd invited him back to his place he had stubbornly avoided the older boy's gaze. Sasuke grabbed his chin firmly and forced him to meet his eyes. He saw a multitude of emotions in the sapphire blue orbs, uncertainty, desire and fear being the most prominent. He kissed him softly and felt some of the tension leave the blond. He also felt the shaking.

"We don't have to do this Naruto. We don't ever have to do anything you don't want to do," he whispered encouragingly. He knew about Naruto's past, knew this had to be terrifying him more than he was letting on. For all intents and purposes this was his first time, but he had terrible memories of bad experiences accompanying him into it. He kissed him again, slowly, tenderly. The blond's fingers slowly clutched at his shirt, but despite the fear that had to be eating at him Sasuke watched as Naruto overcame it and removed the piece of material. Sasuke made no move to do anything, instead letting Naruto take the lead. He watched the younger boy clench and unclench his fists and then a timid hand reached up to brush across the pale boy's smooth chest. Sasuke made a low humming noise in his throat to let Naruto know that touching was more than okay and the smaller boy pinched one of his nipples, his eyes shooting up to look at his face nervously. What Naruto was doing was both turning him on and making him hurt for the other boy. He didn't know what to do to make it better.

"Um, who's going to, uh, you know..." Naruto mumbled, determinedly keeping his head down to hide his blush.

Sasuke wanted to groan at the question. At some point in the future he planned to be the one to dominate, at least most of the time, but until Naruto got over his fear it would have to be him. Sasuke kissed him and said gently, "You are, Naruto." Naruto shivered under his touch and took deep breaths. Sasuke slowly made to remove Naruto's shirt, giving the boy plenty of time to say no. When it was finally off he stepped closer to rub their chests together. Naruto shuddered and Sasuke knew he both liked and feared the sensation. He felt Naruto's fingers fumble to unfasten his pants and he helped him. When those were gone and he stood only in his boxers Sasuke felt a tremor wrack the blond's body. He rubbed Naruto's arms to try and ease the tension some. "Shhh. It's okay. Take it as slow as you need to. I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to. Just try to relax. I'm not going to hurt you Naruto."

"I know you wouldn't hurt me," he whispered. Sasuke embraced him completely and rocked him slightly. After a few minutes he pulled back a little.

"I'm going to take your pants off now, okay?" Naruto nodded jerkily and Sasuke kissed him gently as he made quick work of the boy's clothes. Now they were both down to their boxers. "What do you want to do?" he asked quietly. Naruto swallowed but didn't answer. Instead he took off his own boxers, more afraid of seeing Sasuke naked than letting the raven see him. Sasuke moaned appreciatively. Naruto trembled again. Sasuke gently placed Naruto's fingers inside the waistband of his boxers and waited. Slowly, inch by agonizing inch, Naruto pushed them down. Sasuke saw Naruto staring resolutely at his chest.

"Sasuke?" he whispered.

"Yes Naruto?" he asked nearly as quietly.

"Can I... look...?" He barely got the last word out.

"Of course," he murmured affectionately, trying desperately to find some way to ease the other boy's terror. He watched hopefully as Naruto tilted his head down a little and shifted his gaze. He felt his heart sink when he heard a faint noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper come from the teen. He shook violently for a moment and then took slow, shallow breaths with his eyes closed.

"I don't... know what I'm doing... Not really. I..." Naruto was killing Sasuke with his slurred speech and he kissed him again, passionately.

"I trust you. Just keep your eyes on mine as much as possible and try to match your breathing with mine, okay?" Naruto nodded. He fumbled in the nightstand's drawer, keeping his eyes on Sasuke's, until he produced a little bottle of lube.

"Jiraiya gave it to me just in case," he explained hoarsely. Sasuke just nodded. He laid down on the bed, pulling Naruto down with him. Perched above Sasuke, Naruto put some of the warm liquid on his fingers. Sasuke made sure to keep eye contact, holding Naruto's vision captive. The trick seemed to be working as the blond had quit shaking. Sasuke noticed the uncertain look on Naruto's face as the younger boy shyly placed his fingers near the raven's entrance. Sasuke stayed completely still, waiting. He made sure not to show any of his discomfort when Naruto put first one, then two fingers inside of him. "Does it hurt?" he whispered urgently, eyes wide in his abnormally pale face.

"No. It doesn't hurt." Sasuke was glad that he could answer honestly. It was a strange sensation to say the least, but it didn't hurt in the slightest. Naruto began to move his fingers and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat at the sensations. The blond moved all around and then hit something that made Sasuke cry out and arch into the touch. Of course this alarmed Naruto and he pulled his fingers out immediately.

"Shit! I'm so sorry Sasuke!" he cried and tried to move away. Sasuke held onto Naruto's wrist tightly and pulled him back.

"It felt good. I didn't mean to alarm you," he muttered a little breathlessly.

"Oh..." he gasped. He cautiously returned his fingers and Sasuke made sure to keep his noises to reassuring moans.

"I'm ready Naruto," he sighed. "I want you." His voice was firm as he spread his legs further. Naruto positioned himself, but he didn't go any further and Sasuke realized that his body was shaking again. His expression was pained.

"I don't want to hurt you," he groaned desperately.

"You won't. Please Naruto. I need you." Naruto closed his eyes tightly and thrust into him. Sasuke automatically tensed at the invasion, but quickly relaxed and focused on keeping his expression serene. Soft whimpers were coming from Naruto's mouth and Sasuke couldn't stand it. He kissed him roughly, nipping at his lower lip, and Naruto's eyes shot open once again. "Mmmmm. You feel so good. Move Naruto," he instructed soothingly. Naruto started a slow and steady pace, constantly searching Sasuke's face for any sign of pain. When a few minutes went by with only breathy moans and erotic facial expressions he picked up the pace. Sasuke was soon gasping and softly crying out. When Naruto hit his prostate again he couldn't help a cry that slipped between his clenched teeth as he pulled Naruto into him harder. "More Naruto. Harder. Please," he begged and this time his actions weren't carefully calculated. The blond seemed to have gained courage throughout the last few moments and was easily doing as Sasuke asked. He slammed into the raven harder and faster, thrusting in all the way to the hilt. And soon Sasuke wasn't the only one crying out. Sasuke felt the damn burst inside him just as he came all over his stomach. Naruto pulled out and collapsed next to him. Sasuke caressed his back soothingly. When the boy turned to him with questioning eyes he leaned forward and kissed him yet again.

"I love you, Naruto." Naruto just stared at him for a moment, too stunned to speak. Then he smiled, a slow, tremulous smile.

"I love you too Sasuke." Sasuke cradled the emotionally exhausted teen against him long after he fell asleep and he couldn't help but hope that next time would be easier for the blond he had finally realized he loved.


	19. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Song is I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin.**

**A/N: Has mature content. Rated MA just to be safe, cuz I'm not sure where to draw the line. Not restricted though. **

**Chapter Sixteen. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke had never been a morning person. Waking up automatically made him grumpy. Apparently Naruto was. He should have realized that from their missions, but he just figured the blond didn't like to sleep when he was around other people. He'd just assumed things would be different at home. Then again, Naruto had already been cooking pancakes when he'd come over the other day, and that had been early for Sasuke. Either way, he'd been wrong. Very, very wrong. He groaned as Naruto gently nudged him off of him and scowled when he heard a chuckle. As soon as the boy was out of bed he rolled onto his stomach and cuddled with a pillow. He'd just pretend he wasn't awake and maybe he'd get to go back to sleep. It took only a few seconds for him to figure out that he'd been wrong about that too. Music streamed through the apartment and Naruto's voice reached his ears. Maybe waking up wasn't so bad after all.

"Fall! Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath it's far from over. Leave the lost and dead behind, now's your chance to run for cover. I don't want to change the world, I just want to leave it colder. Light the fuse and burn it up, take the path that leads to nowhere. All is lost again, but I'm not giving in. I will not bow. I will not break. I will shut the world away. I will not fall. I will not fade. I will take your breath away. Fall!" Sasuke opened a bleary eye to watch Naruto in the kitchen. "Watch the end through dying eyes, now the dark is taking over. Show me where forever dies, take the fall and run to heaven. All is lost again, but I'm not giving in. I will not bow. I will not break. I will shut the world away. I will not fall. I will not fade. I will take your breath away. And I'll survive, paranoid. I have lost the will to change. And I am not proud, cold-blooded, fake. I will shut the world away. I will not! I will not bow. I will not break. I will shut the world away. I will not fall. I will not fade. I will take your breath away. And I'll survive, paranoid. I have lost the will to change. And I am not proud, cold-blooded, fake. I will shut the world away. Fall!" Sasuke shut the radio off and went up behind a still gloriously naked Naruto to wrap his arms around his waist. He rested his chin on his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of his butt rubbing against his groin.

"What is this music?"

"My battle music," Naruto responded and wiggled against him. Sasuke groaned. "If you don't let go of me the bacon will burn." Sasuke didn't let go of him, he just walked with him to the stove. Naruto flipped the bacon. He also poured a bowl of scrambled eggs into another pan. They looked lighter than usual and the pan was coated with something.

"What did you do to the eggs?" he asked curiously.

"I poured a bit of milk in them and put butter in the pan." Sasuke nodded in understanding. He continued to hold the younger boy while he cooked, only letting go once the food was on plates. He sat down at the table with his, just as comfortable being naked as Naruto was. All of the insecurities from last night seemed to have disappeared. Naruto was smiling, snuggling, even initiating like with the little wiggle. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. They ate quickly and showered, and then he watched Naruto dress. For once there wasn't a bit of orange on any part of him. He even tucked a pair of black gloves and a black beenie to cover his bright hair into his little pouch that he wore on his right thigh. Sasuke asked to borrow some of his clothes as well. When he was done dressing he laughed at how well they matched; they both looked like shadows dressed all in black. Sasuke wondered how the color contrasted with his abnormally pale skin. He had to admit that it looked delectible on Naruto's creamy skin. Alabaster and ivory swathed in ebony. The effect was stunning. Sasuke helped his blond store his important stuff in the hiedy-hole even though it irked him to do so. Then they set off to go find Tsunade. Phase one of the infiltration: Attend the five Kage's summit they'd planned and try to win over the other Kage's. Their real infiltration would start tonight unless assistance was offered in which case they'd continue with reconnaissance until all forces arrived. Gaara already knew of this plan and had discreetly stationed a few of his best with Naruto. They hadn't been seen yet and that's the way they wanted it. Now all that was left was to inform the other Kage's of what they were doing and inquire as to whether or not they could participate. The more the better, but the real reason behind the summit was to alleviate any retaliations that might transpire if some of The Foundation were to escape and call on favors they might have gained.

"Are you boys ready to go?" Tsunade asked when they reached her office. She was dressed in the full Hokage attire.

"Yes. Let's go," Naruto said quietly. They made their way to the traditional building that was used for conferences like these. Everyone else was there by the time they got there. Good. They wouldn't have to wait. Everyone else had brought guards with them as well. One for either side. Not a very trustworthy bunch. The commissioner introduced everyone and called the meeting to a start.

"This meeting has been called today on behalf of the Hokage of Konohagakure. I'll allow her to speak." The commissioner bowed and seated himself at the back of the room.

Everyone turned to face Tsunade. "Please explain yourself," the Tsuchikage, Onoki, said with false politeness.

"On the outskirts of our village there is an organization called The Foundation. Before I explain fully I would like to tell you why you are here when we could probably dispose of them ourselves. Our main objective is to gain your cooperation. We are willing and able to take care of this matter on our own, however we do not wish to be caught in a plot for revenge should any of the members have any connections in your villages. We do not wish to start a war." Tsunade definitely sounded like an authority figure.

"That sounds fair," the Mizukage, Mei, allowed. The others grudgingly agreed with her.

"Our second objective is to offer you a chance to participate in the takedown," Tsunade continued.

"Why would we wish to do that?" The Raikage, A, demanded.

"Well, you especially might wish to participate simply because of your brother. I will explain now. The Foundation has been working for years to create super soldiers. Their goal: to dominate, eventually over the entire world. They were the beginning of everything we are fighting against today. The instigators of this organization are none other than Danzo Shimura and my ex-teamate Orochimaru. As some of you may know, there is a group called the Akatsuki is currently hunting jinchuurikis in order to recreate the Ten Tails, the jubi. Our village has its own jinchuuriki and I understand that the Raikage's brother is one as well. And so, we've come back to The Foundation. The Akatsuki were originally a group put together for The Foundation by Orochimaru. They worked for it for years until they decided they had their own plans and ideals that didn't fit in with Danzo's and split off from Orochimaru. They also want to dominate the world, though their way might seem a little more monstrous."

"How are they creating super soldiers?" Mei asked interestedly.

"They have several research facilities scattered around. They research on certain people they think possess worthy qualities and they find a way to recreate those abilities in a way that allows them to be passed on to all of their candidates. That and brainwashing."

"They do research on humans? How do you know this? Why are we just now being informed? Surely they don't just use the people from your village."

"No. They use a variety of people from many villages. And we know because we have a very high ranking research subject here with us right now. Jiraiya rescued him several years ago." Sasuke felt Naruto tense in surprise and felt everyone's eyes on them.

"And who might that be?" Onoki asked.

Tsunade turned to Naruto and Sasuke had a premonition of what was coming. He only hoped he survived the explosion once Naruto realized what was happening. "The Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki."

**Gaara's POV.**

Gaara watched as the blood drained from Naruto's face. His eyes were wide in shock, his mouth hanging open slightly. He was clearly horrified. The redhead felt sorry for his friend, but he knew that this was long overdue. It was time he assumed his propper place. He watched, vastly amused, as he turned towards Tsunade. She and Sasuke both visibly flinched, already anticipating his wrath. He surprised them all when he said rather calmly, "We had not discussed this beforehand. I would like it if you would notify me the next time you are about to divulge something like that." He turned back to the others. "I am terribly sorry for the deception. It has become such a habit that I didn't even think about it. Forgive my carelessness." Okay. He was smoothing it over. That made sense. The look he gave Tsunade clearly promised retribution. She was cringing by the time he looked away again.

Mei sighed. "Everyone is getting appointed younger and younger these days. First Gaara becomes Kazekage, and now we have a teenager as Hokage."

"You are wrong Lady Mei. I assure you that Naruto was appointed Hokage long before I assumed the roll of Kazekage. Why, he was only thirteen at the time," he said, grinning evilly at Naruto. Yeah, he'd probably kill him later, but as his friend he had the right to join the fun at a time like this. Naruto looked scandalized. Gaara almost laughed. He felt Neji shaking with silent laughter beside him.

"You mean to say that this boy has been Hokage ever since the Third died?" Onoki roared.

"I apologize for hiding this fact from you, but it was necessary. My entire time in office has been spent leading up to this moment. I've lived and breathed for the takedown of The Foundation since I was liberated myself." He seemed a little desperate now, but he was definitely keeping his cool.

"That's true," Gaara agreed with a nod. "He even underwent assassin training from the Sannin Jiraiya when he was only nine. That is true dedication if you ask me." The explanation was his way of relieving the pressure they were putting on Naruto as well as his way of saying he was sorry for taking part in the fun. He knew that his words would calm the others and allow them to see past the deception."

"Tell us about this research if you don't mind." It was Mei who spoke again, not unkindly. Tsunade vacated the seat and took her place beside him. He sat in the place that he was supposed to sit for the first time since he became Hokage, and then proceeded to relive a nightmare that sucked everyone else in who heard it. And Gaara was sucked in right along with everybody else, sucked into hell.


	20. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Songs are Into the Ocean by Blue October and Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard. **

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long guys, been pretty busy and I needed a break. It's just fluff because I'm still working through the action scene, I suck at stuff like that, but I like fluff sometimes. Hopefully you will too. R&R. **

**Chapter Seventeen. Naruto's POV.**

Naruto finally stopped talking, feeling more worn out than he had in years. Those memories were painful enough to carry around, but talking about them was torture. He saw pity in a few eyes and it made him grind his teeth together to keep from shouting at them. He didn't want pity. He felt the tension in Sasuke who was gently and inconspicuously pressing against his side. It was comforting and uncomfortable at the same time. Did he pity him too? The thought made him a little sick to his stomach. The way Sasuke's thumb was very slightly caressing his thigh made him feel less nervous though, so he didn't push him away. Everyone was silent and Tsunade was looking sadly at the table. She already knew the whole story, as did Jiraiya, but it was still unpleasant to hear again.

"I will take part in this," Mei said softly. She smiling gently at Naruto. "From what you've said, I definitely consider them a danger to my people. And perhaps we can liberate those of our people who have already been taken."

"I agree with Lady Mizukage. I too wish to reclaim what is mine," Onoki said with a grave expression. The Raikage merely nodded in accordance with the general consensus.

"I've already dispatched my troops," Gaara said with a shrug.

"Very well, then this meeting is adjourned," the commissioner anounced. Everyone began to make their way out of the room. Each kage stopped in front of Naruto to let him know how long it would take to assemble some of their people and where they would set up camp until it was time for the infiltration to commence. Naruto sighed with relief when he was alone with Sasuke and Tsunade. Then he turned to Tsunade angrily.

"Why did you do that?" he practically hissed. Tsunade looked ashamed.

"I wanted them all to know since you will be taking the title here soon," she explained calmly.

"Who said anything about that? What if I wasn't planning to change the arrangement?" he demanded.

"Look Naruto, I agreed to this until The Foundation was wiped out. Once that's over I'm done. I don't want this responsibility anymore. I'm getting tired of the lie. It's your turn to be a real Hokage instead of a puppet master." She didn't look angry, just weary. Naruto was about to respond when Sasuke kissed him passionately and tugged him to his feet. Naruto blushed a little at the public display, but he allowed it and didn't protest when Sasuke started leading him out of the room even though he knew he was just trying to save Tsunade the verbal thrashing. He sighed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, deciding to let it go for now. Sasuke pulled him all the way to the room they would be sharing tonight. Sasuke pushed him down on the bed after locking the door and directing him across the room, but instead of things going in the direction Naruto thought they'd been going in Sasuke crawled onto the matress behind him and snuggled up. They were... spooning? Naruto turned to look at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow.

"I know I need some comfort after that story, I figured you might too."

"Then why did you kiss me like that?" Naruto asked curiously. He wasn't mad; he saw no pity in the raven's eyes.

"I was trying to distract you and get closer to you. It was killing two birds with one stone."

"So... what do we do now that we're here? This isn't exactly what I was expecting," Naruto admitted with a blush.

Sasuke grinned at him. "Pervert. I guess we just lay here an hold each other for a little while." Naruto heard something underneath those words.

"You want me to sing to you don't you?" he asked exasperatedly.

"I wouldn't mind if you did," Sasuke replied in a voice that clearly conveyed his true feelings on the matter.

Naruto sighed and cuddled closer before starting a song. "I'm just a normal boy that sank when I fell overboard. My ship would leave the country, but I'd rather swim ashore. Without a lifevest I'd be stuck again. Wish I was much more masculine. Maybe then I could learn to swim like 'fourteen miles away'. Now floating up and down, I spin, colliding into sound. Like whales beneath me diving down. I'm sinking to the bottom of my everything that freaks me out. The lighthouse beam has just run out. I'm cold as cold as cold can be. Be. I want to swim away, but don't know how. Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean. Let the waves up take me down. Let the hurricane set in motion, yeah. Let the rain of what I feel right now come down. Let the rain come down. Where is the coastguard I keep looking each direction, for a spotlight, give me something, I need something for protection. Maybe flotsom junk will do just fine, the jetsum sunk, I'm left behind. I'm treading for my life believe me. How can I keep up this breathing? Not knowing how to think, I scream aloud, begin to sink. My legs and arms are broken down with envy for the solid ground. I'm reaching for the life within me, how can one man stop his ending? I thought of just your face, relaxed and floated into space." He hummed the next chorus as he had a tendancy to do when he was singing without music. "Now waking to the sun, I calculate what I have done. Like jumping from the bow, yeah, just to prove that I knew how, yeah. It's midnight's late reminder of the loss of her the one I love. My will to quickly end it all sat front row in my need to fall into the ocean, end it all. Into the ocean, end it all. Into the ocean, end it all. Into the ocean end it all." He hummed the rest. When he was finished he turned to look at Sasuke. "You're turn."

Sasuke looked surprised. "You want me to sing? Why?"

"Because I always do the singing and I like your voice. Please?"

Sasuke smiled at him. "I guess it's fair." He thought for a moment. "There's a place off Ocean Avenue, where I used to sit and talk with you. We were both sixteen and it felt so right, sleeping in all day, staying up all night. Staying up all night. There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street, we would walk on the beach in our bare feet. We were both eighteen and it felt so right, sleeping in all day, staying up all night. Staying up all night. If I could find you now things would get better. We could leave this town and run forever. Let your waves crash down on me and take me away yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a piece of you that's here with me. It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see. When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by. I can make believe that you're here tonight. That you're here tonight. If I could find you now things would get better. We could leave this town and run forever. I know somwhere, somehow we'll be together. Let your waves crash down on my and take me away, yeah. I remember the look in your eyes when I told you that this was goodbye. You were begging me not tonight. Not here, not now. We're looking up at the same night sky, and keep pretending the sun will not rise. We'll be together for one more night somewhere, somehow. If I could find you now things would get better. We could leave this town and run forever. I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together. Let your waves crash down on me and take me away, yeah, yeah." He finished the song and kissed Naruto's nose.

"That was kind of a sad song." Naruto frowned and got as close to Sasuke as he could, their legs tangling together. He didn't know why, but the song had upset him coming from Sasuke. He'd heard it before, even liked it, but having it sung to him was a little unsettling.

"I'm sorry. You usually sing sad songs so I thought you wouldn't mind it. It's always been one of my favorites."

"I guess..." He hesitated. Was he really about to say this? He'd already told Sasuke he loved him. Surely it wasn't moving too fast? "I guess I just don't like the idea of you leaving me. The song has never bothered me before." He mumbled the whole things, but of course Sasuke heard and he laughed.

"I'm sorry. I promise I have no intention of leaving you." He kissed Naruto and he felt reassured. Naruto felt a little bold after their previous lovemaking and he kissed Sasuke back, inviting the pale boy's tongue into his mouth. He moaned when Sasuke massaged his tongue and he pressed his body against Sasuke's daringly. Sasuke pulled back to look at him. "Not tonight Naruto. I'm too hyped up for anything to happen until after all of this is done." Naruto knew he had a disgruntled look on his face, but he couldn't help it. He wanted more. What he'd had before had been intoxicating. Sasuke laughed. "Sorry Naruto. It's just hard for me to focus on one thing. My mind keeps wandering all over the place. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight."

"I understand. Sorry for pushing." Now he felt bad. He pouted a little about the fact that he'd made a fool of himself. Sasuke kissed him gently and he buried his face in his chest. He decided that if Sasuke was thinking then he should think too. Unfortunately he kept coming back to being intimate with Sasuke. He decided to really examine his desire to partially satisfy his mind. He thought about what had happened between them already and realized something with a jolt. He wasn't ready. Last night he'd been in charge. It had been easy to lose himself. However Sasuke wasn't one to submit for very long. He had a feeling that the next time Sasuke would be the dominant. He gulped. Could he do it? Could he willingly submit to anyone, let alone him? He thought about that long and hard. If he really loved Sasuke, and he was sure that he did, he would have to eventually. The idea disturbed him, but he knew that if Sasuke were to make love to him again he would have to give in. That thought made him grumpy because sadly he was horny and he knew he'd still be horny when all of this was over. Could he really deny himself, or Sasuke for that matter, what he knew they both wanted? The answer to that was a big, fat no. That made him even grumpier. As soon as all this was over, he was going to have to let Sasuke dominate him. The boy unconsciously pulled him closer and Naruto realized he was asleep. He smiled and decided not to worry about it. It would have to happen eventually anyway. Right now he'd just enjoy the peace of having Sasuke safe in his arms. He turned the light out and held Sasuke tightly before drifting off to sleep himself. He dreamed of the battle ahead of them and he saw his worst nightmares come true before his eyes. When he woke up, panting and sweating, he realized that it was just a dream. He sighed and laid back down.

"You okay?" Sasuke murmured sleepily, taking him back into his arms.

Naruto buried his face in the beautiful boy's soft hair and inhaled slowly. "I am now." He smiled. He felt Sasuke smile too.

"Good. Do you want to talk about it?" He knew that even though he was concerned, he was still half asleep. If he'd been awake it might have been different, but since he wasn't he closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.

"No. I'm fine. Go back to sleep." Sasuke murmured something that sounded like 'love you' and then sighed and fell asleep again. It wasn't long before Naruto followed him. He had no more nightmares that night.


	21. Restricted Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Rated MA for eighteen and older only. This is for a reviewer who requested it. I've been debating, but they made up my mind. Hope you like. You know who you are. **

***Restricted Chapter* YAOI! Kiba's POV.**

Kiba snuggled with Hinata on her bed as they listened to some music. Hinata was humming along to the song that had just come on and he listened, hoping she'd let him hear that gorgeous voice of hers. "Saying I love you is not the words I want to hear from you. It's not that I want you not to say, but if you only knew. How easy it would be to show me how you feel. More than words is all you have to do to make it real. And then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I'd already know. What would you do if my heart was torn in two? More than words to show you feel that your love for me is real. What would you say if I took those words away? Then you couldn't make things new just by saying I love you." That's when Hinata started singing softly. "More than words. La di da di dy dy da. More than words. La di da, la di da. Now that I've tried to talk to you and make you understand. All you have to do is close your eyes and just reach out your hands. And touch me. Hold me close, don't ever let me go! More than words is all I ever needed you to show. Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I'd already know. What would you do if my heart was torn in two? More than words to show you feel that your love for me is real. What would you say if I took those words away? Then you couldn't make things new just by saying I love you!" He rolled over and kissed her softly when the song ended. He loved her voice and when she'd sung that part about holding her there had been so much passion in her voice that it had given him goose bumps. He definitely intended to hold her as much as possible before the big mission. He would never admit it, but he was scared about Hinata participating in the takedown. Just the thought made his hands shake.

"Kiba. I want more than words." She was looking at him with such heat in her eyes and he kissed her again, a little more passionately. She pulled away after a minute. "No. That's not what I meant. Look, I'm nervous about this operation. I don't want to go in with you and come out without, or even not come back out at all. But I certainly don't want to go in with any regrets just in case either of those happen. I care about you, I don't know if you could possibly understand how much, but before something happens I want to, uh, seize the day I guess is a good way to put it." Kiba stared at her in shock as she blushed. Was she really asking him to make love to her? They'd been dating for a little while now, that was true, but he knew her father had been horrible to her and he didn't know just how far things had gone. He'd been very careful to take things slowly and keep his hands to himself, or his Kiba Junior in his pants at least. He looked down at her tenderly, thinking, not for the first time, about how much he really loved this girl.

"Hinata. I don't want you to do this just because you're afraid one of us might not make it. Being with each other is enough. When we get back, and we are BOTH coming back, then we can talk about taking things further," he said, hoping he wasn't lying.

"If I were to die with such a huge regret I would haunt you forever, unable to pass on. And yes, I believe in ghosts. If you were to die without having let me experience the extent of your passion I would mourne you for the rest of my days. Do you understand? And you can't possibly know that we'll both make it out alive." Her voice was gentle, but he heard the desperation underneath the calm words. He held her tighter, afraid of doing something wrong. It wasn't like he hadn't dreamed of taking that next step, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't struggling with this request, but he cared too much about her to screw things up. Perhaps she would have no regrets going in, but if they did both come back out, would she have regrets then that she hadn't waited? And then there was the issue of her dad. He'd never asked, but he'd surely wondered and some of the things his mind had concocted made him sick to think about. Not knowing was difficult, and he decided that if he was going to do this he had to know beforehand.

"What about your dad?" he asked in barely more than a whisper. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise.

"You thought...? Oh no. I wish you'd told me that you were thinking along those lines. Kiba, my dad may have been an abusive bastard, but he never raped me. He never even touched me in a sexual way. I promise." He felt relieved. He held her tighter still. Was he really going to do this?

"And what if you regret it afterwards when we _do_ come back out? What if you wish you'd waited longer? Like until marriage or something?" He so did not want to screw this up. Hinata was the best thing that had ever happened to him. She balanced him like nothing else could. He felt free when he was with her.

"I won't ever regret being with you Kiba. I, well, I lov-"

He kissed her to cut it off. "You've never said that before and if you say it now I'll always wonder if it was the circumstances that pushed you into it. Tell me after we get done with the mission. Okay?" She looked a little disappointed but nodded. He kissed her again, a deep, hungry kiss. "Are you absolutely sure?" he asked huskily. She took off her shirt. He groaned as he caught sight of her perfect, cream colored breasts. When she took off her bra, after he had just stared for a few minutes and she realized he wasn't going to take the initiative, he lunged at her nipple, causing a startled yelp. The yelp turned into a moan as he ravished her. She didn't have to tell him twice. He helped her get his own shirt off and then went to work on her pants. Soon she was naked beneath him and he kissed his way down her stomach. She cried out in surprise and pleasure when he used his mouth to get her ready. Her hips came up off the bed as her fingers tangled in his hair and she gasped and panted. God she was turning him on so bad! He moaned and she squeaked at the vibrations it caused. She pulled him up and locked lips with him once more as she unfastened his jeans and slowly slid them down and off. His boxers were quick to follow. She reached into the stand next to her bed and presented him with a condom, looking at his chest so that her blush wouldn't overwhelm her. She'd obviously thought about this before if she already had protection. He always carried one in his wallet, but he hadn't expected to use it anytime soon.

"Neji gave them to me!" she confessed and bit her lip to try and control her embarrassment. He simply laughed and took it from her, putting it on.

"Hinata, I don't know how much you know about these things, but... Well, it's going to hurt at first. It gets better, I promise, and it's only this first time, but I didn't want you to be caught off guard..."

She kissed him roughly. "I know," she murmured against his lips. "It's okay. Just don't stop kissing me." And so he wrapped his arms completely around her shoulders, supporting his weight on his forearms beneath her, and kissed her greedily as he spread her legs with his knees and thrust in as fast as he possibly could. She cried out, but he swallowed the sound as he continued to make love to her mouth with his tongue. He saw the tears that slipped from her beautiful eyes, that were tightly shut at the moment, and felt like a monster. Still, there was nothing he could do now but make it better for her. He kissed her soothingly as he started to move inside her and soon she was lifting her hips ever so slightly to meet his. He pulled away and nipped at her neck, trying to rekindle her pleasure. She moaned. He nibbled his way around, trying to find her hot spots, and she cried out with pleasure as he nipped just under her ear. She was clinging to him as she had been since he'd started, but now her legs were wrapped around his waist as well as she tried to increase the pace on her own.

"Oh God Hinata, don't do that. You'll make me cum before you do." He pulled his arms out so that he could hold her hips down. She sank her sharp little teeth into his shoulder as punishment and he shuddered with intense pleasure.

"I don't care," she whispered in his ear, causing a tremor to go down his spine. "I want more." He moved faster, daring to use a little more force with his thrusts and she cried out in extacy. His nails dug into her hips as he attempted to hold onto what little control he had left. She wiggled against his hips to try and get more of the sensation that was making little whimpers come from her sexy mouth and he tightened his hold a little, giving her what she wanted. It was obvious that her pleasure zone was there so he rolled over and used her hips to roughly move her up and down. She screamed from the exquisite sensations and he lost all control, thrusting into her with no restraint until he felt her muscles spasming around him and he yelled her name as he came hard. She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavy and holding him tightly. "I love you Kiba."

"I told you not to say it yet," he said, only just realizing that he didn't care anymore. He believed her and hearing that just made the moment all the more special.

"You did," she said around a yawn. "But I decided not to listen."

"Stubborn woman," he muttered playfully. She giggled. He pulled out of her gently and went to the bathroom. After disposing of the used condom and cleaning himself quickly he came back with a warm, wet wash cloth and cleaned her as well. He didn't want her to wake up with dried blood everywhere in the morning. She blushed as he scrubbed gently between her thighs. He threw the cloth in the clothes hamper and crawled back into bed with her. He sent out a silent sorry to Akamaru, because there was no way he was leaving her tonight, and then cuddled up to her. He wrapped himself around her in a protective way and she snuggled closer with a contented sigh. "I love you too, Hinata," he whispered, but he knew she heard him. She laced their fingers together and he nuzzled her neck. It wasn't long before they fell asleep.

**I really suck at writing action stuff, so I might just decide to make the next chapter about after the big battle. Let me know if you're opposed to this cuz I promise I'll try if anyone actually wants me to. I just don't want to make a bad chapter if it's not important to anyone. Be honest though. Thanks. **


	22. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I got mixed reviews on this part, but some of them came after I'd already written it so this is how it turned out. I'm a general fan of happy endings, so it might seem kind of lame. Just want to apologize beforehand; I suck at action, but I wanted a conflict and I need to finish what I started. You have been warned. Lol. And as for my guest reviewer, thank you for your enthusiasm. It makes me feel great. Seriously, I get this stupid grin on my face when people get excited like that. **

**Chapter Eighteen. Naruto's POV.**

Naruto waited in the shadows, tense from the nerves that were bundled in a knot in his stomach. He knew Sasuke was close by, but he couldn't see him and that made it all the worse. He didn't like that Sasuke was here, he just wanted to know he was safe even if that meant sitting this out. But the truth was, he needed him. Sasuke was exceptional in skill and had a calming effect on Kyuubi unlike anything else Naruto had ever encountered. He felt himself grinding his teeth and made a conscious effort to relax his jaw. He was so tense his muscles were screaming. He'd known he'd have to come back to this place in order to accomplish this, but that by no means meant that he was happy about being here. The memories it was dredging up were torturous. Literally. He focused on taking deep breaths and looked at his watch. 11:52. They were supposed to go in at midnight. Why was this going so slow? He could swear that it had been nearly ten minutes since he'd last checked and it had only been 11:50 then. He growled low in his throat. Waiting was torture. They were attacking from six different points around the well hidden building. His group was supposed to watch for the signal from Kabuto and go in first. The sensory person on his team was Sasuke, another reason why he needed him. He was watching for any sign of movement right now, hiding somewhere in the shadows to Naruto's left. After they went in, Neji's team was supposed to wait five minutes and then go in on their side. Then five minutes and Kiba's team was supposed to go in. Then five minutes and Kakashi's team would move in. Then five minutes and it was Gaara's team. Then five minutes before Shino's team went in. It all came down to Naruto and Sasuke to lead the battle. It would have probably made more sense for it to be Kakashi's team first, but Naruto knew this place better than any of them and Kabuto was his informant, so the reasoning was that he'd be more likely to see if Kabuto was acting funny and less likely to fall into a trap once inside the building. Naruto had a few people from every village on his team. He'd personally put the teams together. On his team he had Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kankuro, Aoba, Yamato, and people he'd never met before from the other three hidden villages. There were fifteen people in all. He looked at his watch again. 11:57. His gut clenched. It was almost time. He focused on the spot that Kabuto was supposed to appear at. After what seemed like ages he was there, making the gesture they'd decided on. Suddenly Sasuke was beside him. "Let's go," he whispered in the blond's ear. Naruto followed his lover slowly into the bowels of hell.

**Sasuke's POV.**

Naruto was scared. The boy would never say so, but from where Sasuke was standing he could just make out the younger boy's trembling. He wanted nothing more than to go comfort him. He wished he wasn't here in the first place. He was Hokage, surely that meant that he shouldn't partake in this. Then again, Gaara was here as well. He sighed. He wished he could have just done this for him. He sighed quietly. He wondered how Itachi was doing. Only Naruto and Sasuke knew that Itachi was here tonight. He planned to come in on his own and seek out Danzo. The final battle involving Danzo had been set aside for Sasuke and Itachi alone. Naruto had his own vendetta: the researcher who had made his stay there so much worse than it had any right to be. He would be going off in search of this man as soon as the battle was in full swing and Gaara was going to back him up. After those two had been taken care of Orochimaru was the highest priority. Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto, Gaara, Kabuto and Tsundade were in charge of taking him down while Kakashi watched over the other forces. He glanced at Naruto again, still wishing that he was anywhere but here, and then looked back to see that Kabuto had appeared. He gave the signal and Sasuke ghosted to Naruto's side. "Let's go," he breathed into the nervous boy's ear and then headed towards the fortress with a grim determination. He would keep Naruto safe. There were no ifs, ands, or buts to it.

**Neji's POV.**

Neji saw the first team move and tensed in preperation. Five minutes was all he had. His gaze briefly flickered to where Gaara should have been and zoomed in until he found the boy. He'd honed his byakugan to pick up on Gaara more easily than most other things. He saw the boy glancing wistfully in his direction and knew that he wasn't the only one who hated the fact that he was breaking off from the main battle to help Naruto. Neji hated it, but he knew that Gaara felt just the same and that others were making sacrifices as well. He clenched his fists and sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening that Gaara would be safe. Two more minutes. He took deep, calming breaths. He had hardly anyone on his team that he was personally aquainted with, but he did have Lee which made him feel a little better. It was time. He walked over to Lee and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's time." The other boy nodded and headed towards the building.

**Kiba's POV.**

Kiba's heart was pouding out of his chest. He hated leaving Hinata out here where the enemies would be fleeing after the battle started. She was one of the few people they'd rounded up to be part of the medical corp and he knew they needed her, but he wished he could physically make sure she stayed safe. He'd feel better if Tsunade was staying with her the entire time, but that wasn't the case. Tsunade was going in with Kakashi's team in order to take on Orochimaru and then meeting up with the medical team if she made it out alive. Kiba whimpered a little and the sound was mimicked by Akamaru. He patted him and the dog turned to lick his face affectionately. He could tell by Neji's smell that the boy was on the move and he knew he only had five minutes left. Akamaru was rigid beneath him and Kiba knew that him worrying about Hinata wasn't helping anything. It didn't matter. He'd told her they would both make it out alive and he meant it. That calmed him a little. Temari, who was on his team, was fidgeting nervously. Kiba knew she was worried for Shikamaru and he placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "They'll be okay. All of them. Especially Shikamaru. He's really smart." She nodded at him and gripped his hand in gratitude. He glanced at his watch. "This is it. Let's go guys."

**Hinata's POV.**

Hinata watched as the last team went in. There was nothing left to do but wait. She sighed. "He'll be alright, Hinata," Ino said gently.

She smiled in thanks. "So will Choji. We really worry too much, don't we?"

"Of course we don't. If we weren't worried that would mean we didn't care," Sakura piped in. They all smiled at each other. "Are you ready for this? You're job is going to be the hardest."

She nodded. "I'm ready. I've been practicing a lot lately. If anyone gets hurt my byakugan will pick up on it quickly enough and then you guys can go in and get them. I think your jobs are harder actually."

"It's going to put more strain on you than it is us," Ino disagreed.

"Well, it doesn't matter how much strain it puts on me. There are too many people in there that I care about for me to let something like exertion get to me." They all smiled again. There was a loud bang and their smiles vanished as if they'd never been. The battle had begun. "Come back to me Kiba," she whispered as she focused on the horrible scene that was unfolding before her eyes.

**Itachi's POV.**

Itachi slipped in unoticed and found Sasuke quickly. The younger boy nodded and followed him. There were like a couple of shadows in the barely lit room. He was worried about his younger brother. He could tell his concentration was split between his mission and his worry for Naruto and that was dangerous. They found Danzo more easily than they'd expected as he was trying to flee. He froze when he saw them and Itachi watched in admiration as Sasuke began to produce chidori from all over his body. Itachi activated his mangekyo sharingan.

"Itachi. I didn't know you were on such good terms with your brother. I'm surprised you managed to sneak in undetected." Danzo had composed himself and was attempting to come off as calm.

"It wasn't that hard since the Hokage was on my side. It's thanks to him that Sasuke and I are close once again."

"He?" Danzo asked, furrowing his brows.

"I see Naruto's plan really did work. You never knew a thing. Sorry to break it to you, but Tsunade was never the Hokage," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"I see. So it was all a ruse. To fool me?"

"Yes. Naruto is the Hokage. If you'll remember, he was also held here for The Foundation. He's been plotting your downfall for years," Sasuke was saying and Itachi heard the bloodlust in his voice. For a moment Itachi felt the effects of it and it sent a shiver down his spine. Scary. He was glad he'd never had to fight Sasuke. He found himself rethinking his praise when Sasuke rushed the old man like a complete idiot. Itachi shook his head and joined the fight. What he didn't expect was for Danzo to have something special under all those bandages. Where had he gotten so many Sharingan eyes? He used his amaterasu to try and incapacitate the man. It didn't work. He watched as Sasuke fought persistantly against the man and felt a sense of helplesness when his little brother went flying into a wall several feet away. That's when he brought out Susanoo. He wasn't supposed to use this because it took its toll on his body and shortened his life span, but he knew that with this it would be over quickly and he could protect his brother who had briefly blacked out on impact with the hard surface. No way was he letting Danzo get away.

**Naruto's POV.**

It was almost time for Naruto to break away from the fight and head to the research center that he'd been held at in order to find Zetsu. The evil man who'd tortured him in ways he had only just begun to understand. Gaara had made his way over to him and they were turning to leave when he was attacked by an ink beast. He was able to counter just in time and behind it... stood Sai. The boy was looking at him in shock.

"I know you," he whispered. "You're number nine." Naruto shuddered when he heard the term they used to use for him since he hadn't known his name and they hadn't been overly fond of using names anyways.

"Sai? Where's Shin?" he asked, taking in his appearance hungrily. He'd grown quite a bit. What was he wearing?

"Shin got sick. He's been gone for a while now. He never stopped talking about you though." They were just staring at each other. "I can't hurt you." He dropped his sword to emphasize this.

"I'm not here to hurt you either," Naruto said, pulling the boy into a hug. It's funny. One person could make him completely oblivious to the noises all around him. He almost forgot what he was doing here.

"Naruto. We have to get going," Gaara reminded gently and Naruto snapped out of it.

"I'm sorry Sai. I have something important to do." He started to walk away again, but Sai grabbed his wrist.

"Naruto, huh? That's nice. You're going after Zetsu right?" Naruto nodded. "Good. I'm coming with you." Naruto smiled and the three of them headed out. It took them almost thirty minutes to get to the facility and Zetsu seemed to be waiting for them.

"Hello number nine. Long time no see," the white half purred. The only thing wrong with this was that the white half was the only half.

"Where's the rest of you?" Naruto growled.

"Oh. Black Zetsu decided to leave and join Akatsuki after you were gone. He had nothing here to entartain him anymore." White Zetsu smiled evilly.

Naruto closed his eyes. _Lend me your strenght fox._ When his eyes snapped open they were red. "You'll suffice for now," he growled and in a flash he was behind the man who'd caused him so much pain. "Now's the time when you should get scared," he purred in the white man's ear before he sunk his claws into his chest in search of his heart.

**Sakura's POV.**

Sakura labored over Itachi who had sustained serious muscular injuries from using Susanoo. Several of his muscles had either shredded or ripped making it impossible for him to do much of anything. He wiped the sweat from her forehead and pushed herself a little harder. Hinata's cry broke her concentration. Kiba was being brought over on a stretcher. Hinata rushed to him and started healing the wound in his stomach that was bleeding heavily. Akamaru was following the stretcher closely with his tail between his legs. So many people were getting hurt that they were hard pressed to heal them all. Hinata was frantic right now, but there was nothing she could do to help. She sighed and returned her full attention to Itachi.

**Tsunade's POV.**

She'd found Orochimaru and engaged him in battle. It wasn't too long before Sasuke showed up. The battle became tipped a little in their favor. Kabuto had been with her when she'd found him and there had been a big scene in which Orochimaru smiled creepily at him and calmly called him a traitor. Kabuto had felt the need to let him know exactly why he was against him and his stupid Foundation. The three of them had been fighting for only five minutes before Sasuke showed up. It was another fifteen before Naruto and Gaara had come running towards them with someone they'd never seen before in tow. "Where's Itachi?" Naruto shouted to Sasuke.

"He took too much on with Danzo and he's being treated."

"Itachi's here?!" Tsunade yelled in surprise.

"Now's not the time. I guess we'll just have to make do." Gaara had his sand out and made a shot at the snake-like man. No one had really expected it to work, but it was enough to distract. The battle was hard. Kabuto, Sai and Gaara were out for the count by the time they were done, Tsunade couldn't stand and Naruto was supporting an over exhausted Sasuke as he rocked gently back and forth. Sasuke had been the one to deal the final blow and things had been getting desperate at that point. It was only because Orochimaru had made to attack Naruto that Sasuke had managed to muster the strength to deal a finishing blow. He'd been caught off guard and he went down hard. The man had turned into a large white snake when Tsunade had almost hit him with her chakra scalpal. That's when things had become really bad. Sakura and Ino came running towards them.

"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura exclaimed as she went down on her knee next to her teacher.

"Don't worry about me. Focus on those two," she said, indicating Gaara and Kabuto. She was slowly healing Sai since he had the least amount of injuries and she the least amount of chakra for this. The pink haired girl nodded and went over to Kabuto since Ino was already working on Gaara.

"You know your battle lasted the longest? Everyone else is done and either has been or is being treated," Ino informed the three who were conscious.

"It doesn't surprise me. We were at it for at least an hour," Tsunade murmured as she glanced over at the two boys who were being so quiet.

"More like two," Naruto whispered. Sasuke reached his hand up and brushed Naruto's cheek. The blond caught his hand and held it there, smiling down at him with such affection that Tsunade thought she should look away. That thought was confirmed when Naruto leaned down to kiss the raven tenderly. She turned her eyes back to the girls who were grinning their asses off and surprisingly found that she could smile even after that intense battle.

"Were there any casualties?"

"Six. No one from our village though. There were plenty on The Foundation's side though. Unfortunately the storm hasn't passed yet. We stayed behind to aid you guys, but the others just left out recently to disperse among the research facitlies that we know of and some of the ones that the people who surrendered told us about. We're supposed to meet up with them when we're done here," Sakura informed. Tsunade nodded.

"As soon as Naruto and Sasuke are well enough to at least make it back to the village, and we've healed the others enough, I'll go with you to meet up with them."

"We're coming too," Sasuke informed her. She was surprised.

"No way are we quitting before it's over," came a whisper from the previously unconscious redhead. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"I might be able to help too," Kabuto whispered.

Sai opened his eyes and looked at her. "I have a lot to make up for. I'm coming too."

"We're all going," Naruto declared quietly. The three women nodded and focused on their tasks.


	23. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I was just rereading again, I like to do that, and I realized I only put one of the song titles in the first chapter. First song he sings is The A Team by Ed Sheeran in case anyone wanted to know. Sorry for the late update. I've been super sick lately. Ugh. Oh, almost forgot. Spoilers, but I'm not telling what they are. If you don't know, you'll find out when you watch/read it. **

**Chapter Nineteen. Naruto's POV.**

Naruto dragged his feet as he made his way towards his office. All around him people were reuniting. He watched Kiba and Hinata as they seemed to dance to a slow song only they could hear right in the middle of the street. Temari had shamlessly tackled Shikamaru to the ground by their house and was making him a very happy man though he was vaguely trying to get her to go inside before taking her clothes off. He saw Kankuro and Ten-Ten making out on the grass a few yards away and he almost had enough energy to be surprised. Ino and Choji were sitting on the front porch watching the sunrise. Lee and Sakura were cuddling on the team seven training grounds. He laughed slightly when he saw Iruka kissing every inch of Kakashi's blushing face. He saw many other couples he'd never met before that were enjoying each other's company around the village as he trudged down the street with Sasuke at his side, clutching his hand tightly. Sai had retrieved someone who he'd apparently taken a liking to when they had made their way to the other takedowns. His name was Suigetsu and they seemed awefully close in Naruto's opinion. There were quite a few people from The Foundation sitting in front of the main building. Among them were two people that Suigets had identified as Jugo and Karin. For some reason Itachi had felt the need to join them where they were sitting. He was making polite conversation with the redheaded Karin. "Alright guys. As long as you get seen by a medical ninja and get the go ahead to be out and about you are free to roam around the village and even arrange sleeping quarters. Do not leave the village though. You have already surrendered, so rebelling now will be pointless. I'll come talk to each one of you individually as the day progresses." They all nodded and got to their feet.

"You're welcome to come back to my place," Itachi murmured with a smile. Karin smiled slightly and agreed as she followed him. Naruto wondered if Itachi had found a girlfriend. He shook the thought away. He was dirty, he was tired, and he had tons of paperwork to do.

He turned to Sai. "I appreciate you seeing me all the way here, but you two should really do what I just told the others to do." Sai nodded and Suigetsu tugged his hand gently to get him moving. Naruto pulled Sasuke up to his office, bypassing Tsunade as she tried to say something he assumed would be lascivious. He ignored her. He almost wished he hadn't as he walked in on Gaara and Neji with all of their clothes off on top of his desk. As far as he could tell they hadn't actually started, but they were close enough and the sight broke Naruto out of his current stupor. Everyone stood there looking at each other, Gaara on his back with Neji on top of him bent at the waist, Sasuke gaping in surprise and Naruto trying to decide if he really cared that two of his best friends were using his desk for their personal pleasures. He heard Tsunade laughing her butt off behind him and he saw the blushes on his friend's faces. "I guess we had the same idea. I'll just come back later. Please make sure you clean up." With that he turned and shut the door, but not before he saw Neji grin and return his attention to the redhead beneath him.

"You're really just going to let them have sex on your desk?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh. They'll be done by the time I drop you off at home." He shrugged. They walked quietly, still hand in hand. When they reached Sasuke's house they heard giggling.

"That creepy pervert," Sasuke muttered darkly. He turned to Naruto who was already anticipating his question. "Can I stay at your place for now? I had planned on one of us sleeping over anyway."

"Sure. I would never mind having you at my place. I just wish it was bigger. I'll go with you. Chances are I'll have some cleaning to do before I leave you." Sasuke growled and Naruto just rolled his eyes. He was a little over protective. They'd only been together for a couple of weeks now and he was already upset with the way he'd always lived. He contained a sigh as he led the way to his place. He opened the door to his apartment, wincing a little at what he knew what would be there, and looked in before Sasuke could get a good view to see... nothing. Everything was as it was before he'd left. He furrowed his brows and turned to a very smug Sasuke.

"No one would dare mess with you now that they know I'll beat them up if they do," he said happily as he went into the small living quarters. Naruto groaned.

"Great! So now, not only do people hate me, but they're afraid of my boyfriend. Lovely. I can just feel hearts warming towards me." He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You're forgetting that everyone is going to know you're the Hokage any day now and they'll be afraid to mess with you anyways," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "You're right. I forgot about that." He sighed. "Anyways, I have to go back to the office now. I'll see you around dinner time." He kissed Sasuke passionately and somehow found himself in Sasuke's lap on the couch. "Um, I don't think I'm leaving just yet, am I?" he murmured, licking his lips.

"Not until I feel better about letting you leave me." Sasuke smirked and went back to kissing him. Naruto sighed. A few more minutes wouldn't kill him.

**Sasuke's POV.**

He waited only a few moments after Naruto left before leaving himself. It was Naruto's birthday after all. He went directly to the small shop at the edge of the village and looked at every single cage in the shop, trying to decide. Puppy or kitten? He decided that the whisker-like marks on Naruto's cheeks reminded him more of a kitten so he asked to see every single one in the store. He wanted to find one that was nice, cute, a little energetic, but also calm enough to lay in your lap. He finally settled on an adorable white kitty with one blue eye and one brown eye. It purred a lot and gave its affection easily, nipping at his nose lightly before licking his cheek. Sasuke smiled. Perfect. He got a nice little box that had plenty of holes in it to allow oxygen in, the top sporting an big orange bow. He bought the necessities for the little animal: a litter box and scooper, the litter to go in it, a few play toys, a special brush, food. Getting all of it home with a rambunctious feline in a box was interesting. He let it out at soon as he got back to the apartment. He watched in amusement as the little thing searched the place before making itself at home on the couch, curling up with a yawn and falling asleep. He went through Naruto's CD's and was impressed by the variety the blond had. Lunch came and went and he wondered if Naruto was eating. When it was nearly dinner time he placed the sleeping kitten back in the box and went to make dinner. It wasn't long before he heard the door open.

"I'm home," Naruto said faintly and Sasuke could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He left the stew on simmer and went to wrap his arms around his lover.

"I'm glad. How was work?" he asked, knowing it sucked.

"I think I got at least twelve papercuts," he muttered as he leaned into Sasuke. "Something smelss good," the boy commented.

"I'm glad you think so. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes." He kissed Naruto's forehead. "Why don't you go relax on the couch," he suggested. Naruto nodded and went to do just that when he saw a box ornamented with a bow and lots of holes in his usual seat. Sasuke watched him approach the gift slowly, looking at him over his shoulder just before he opened it. He saw the look of pure delight that spread across his features when the little bundle of fur launched itself at him and settled into his arms, purring. "Happy birthday," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto looked stunned.

"Who told you?" he asked in a small voice.

"I, uh, saw Jiraiya give you some gifts a coupld of weeks ago and I figured I'd check with Hinata about the exact date. I knew it was today, and I wish I could have made things go faster so that today could be special, but I at least wanted to get you a present." Sasuke stood there, smiling slightly at Naruto as the blond stroked the kitten.

"I love him. Does he have a name?" Naruto asked.

"Nope. That's up to you to pick out." Sasuke went back into the kitchen to finish dinner. He got everything ready and brought a plate out to Naruto, figuring he'd rather eat on the couch tonight.

"I'll name him Gakarui. He talks a lot, whether it's purring or meowing, and I feel like he's saying something when he looks me in the eyes," Naruto announced.

Sasuke grinned. "Okay. Sounds good to me." He sat next to the blond and started eating. He watched Naruto set Gakarui in his lap and pick up his own food which he seemed to really enjoy judging by the sounds he was making while he ate it. They sat quietly next to each other once they'd finished eaiting, simply reveling in each other's warmth. They had both made it out okay, though feeling as though their energy had been completely depleted, and Sasuke was glad to be able to sit here with his lover and just enjoy one another's company. They went to bed that night, still only cuddling, but this time Naruto didn't seem to mind. Gakarui curled up on Naruto's pillow, snuggling into his hair, and Sasuke smiled. He kissed Naruto goodnight, making it last several minutes, then he curled up against his lover and wrapped his arm possessively around the blond's waist before falling asleep.

**Naruto's POV.**

Naruto had had to go to work early, now that he actually had to do all of his Hokage duties, and he was doing even more paperwork, gosh there was a lot, when he got the news. Tsunade knocked quietly on his door and he told her to come in. She did, but she didn't say anything and he started to get a bad feeling. He looked up at her and saw an expression similar to the one she'd worn when she'd told him about Asuma. "Who is it Tsunade?" he whispered, afraid of her answer. Please don't let it be what he was afraid of. Don't let anyone be dead. He started praying as though he thought there might be someone out there to listen.

"Jiraiya," she breathed as tears streamed down her face. He felt everything come to a screeching halt.

"I don't think I heard you right. Please speak up," he said harshly.

She sobbed a little and looked at him as though she didn't want to say it again. "Jiraiya is dead. He sent us a last message. He went on a recon mission to the hidden rain village and he ran into someone he recognized. He fought him, and he..." She couldn't say anymore. He watched dully as she fell to her knees, as Shizune rushed into the room to comfort her. He saw Sakura come in looking like she was in shock as well. Something strange was welling up inside of him and he was afraid that if he didn't get out of here quickly something bad would happen. He got up from his desk, knocking his chair over in his haste, and he ran out of the building, ignoring the voices that were calling out to him. He ran as far and as fast as he could, quickly and easily leaving Konoha behind. He didn't stop running until the sky started to darken a little and then he just collapsed. He heard himself howl in a way that definitely did not sound human, felt as tears poured down his cheeks. He couldn't remember how to breathe he realized and now he was choking. He coughed roughly, trying desperately to draw in a breath. His head was swimming. He didn't even bother to worry about the bile that was spilling from his mouth. He didn't know what to do. Every second longer that he was alive seemed ten times more painful than the previous. He held his chest tightly, trying to keep himself from falling apart completely. He heard Kyuubi in his head, telling him to just let go. He knew he'd feel better if he went on a rampage. Except that he wouldn't, not really. He would be pretty much unconscious, yes, but he would still have to deal with it once he'd finished with his distruction along with whatever damage he caused during his rage induced lapse. He shook his head. He wouldn't give in. This wasn't the time to be weak. Tsunade he'd sent a last message, but she hadn't said what it was. Perhaps it was in code? He needed to go back and see if he could help in any way to discover anything that might help him come to terms with his old teacher's death. Perhaps he'd go see Iruka. Iruka would help. He always knew what to do. Naruto picked himself up off of the ground and made his way back to the village, fully intending to do whatever he needed to in order to make sure Jiraiya hadn't died in vain. Instead he found himself standing in front of the Uchiha complex. Sasuke. He needed Sasuke. He walked numbly to the door and knocked on it, waiting. The raven opened the door fairly quickly.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Okay? Was he okay? No. He wasn't okay. His whole body was wracked with pain. Sasuke reached out to him, but Naruto didn't want to wait. He threw himself into the other boy's arms and tried to lose himself in his warmth. It wasn't enough. He needed more. So much more. He clung to Sasuke as if his life depended on it and let him lead him into the house.


	24. Restricted Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**Rate MA for eighteen and older only. **

***Restricted Chapter* YAOI! Sasuke's POV.**

Naruto showed up at Sasuke's house in the middle of the night. Sasuke was worried when he saw his blank expression. "Naruto? Are you okay?" He reached for the boy when his face became a mask of pain. No sooner had his fingers brushed against the blond than the boy was in his arms and kissing him desperately. Sasuke kissed him back with everything he had wondering why he seemed so desperate. He hadn't seen him at all that day and he'd been grumpy about that fact, but now here he was with his body plastered against the Uchiha so tightly that the raven could barely breathe. He pulled Naruto into the house with him and made his way to his bedroom slowly, leading the distraught boy and trying not to break the kiss. When they got there he turned them around so that Naruto was beneath him when he dragged them onto the bed. He finally pulled away and saw the tears in his lover's eyes. He kissed them away feeling helpless against his blond's pain. How could he make it go away if he didn't know what was causing it? Naruto pulled his head back down and locked lips with him again. He slid his tongue in and stroked his tongue gently, his fingers mimicking the motion on the boy's cheek. And then Naruto took off the raven's shirt. Sasuke froze. Was he asking him for comfort sex? He didn't make any moves to undress either of them, deciding to let the younger boy take the lead in this one since he couldn't be sure what he really wanted. And then Naruto undid his pants and shoved them down roughly. Okay. Sasuke slowly removed Naruto's shirt and massaged his back soothingly. Naruto wasn't in the mood for 'slow' right now though, because he took his own pants off and pulled Sasuke to him. Sasuke tried to pull back, to remind him that they needed lube for this, when he felt himself being enveloped by a warm heat and then he was in him to the hilt. The younger boy made a few strangled noises in his throat and bit down hard on Sasuke's neck, but the raven was too shocked to react. He was obviously hurting the boy, he could see it on his face, but Naruto was still writhing beneath him trying to get him to move. He kissed all over Naruto's face and started moving slowly. The blond hissed in pain and whimpered, but when Sasuke tried to pull out his lover pulled him back in with amazing force.

Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes and saw the plea there. He didn't want sweet right now, he didn't want slow, or careful. He wanted relief and solace. Sasuke gritted his teeth against his instincts to take things easy and slammed into the boy. His face contorted in pain, but he arched his hips into it. Sasuke hated this, hated hurting him, but he knew that for some reason Naruto needed this pain. He slammed into him again, over and over again, and the blond was crying out and then he was just crying. Sasuke felt his own eyes stinging. This wasn't what it was supposed to be like. He hadn't wanted Naruto's first time on bottom to be like this. He wanted to slow things down and tell him how much he cared about him, but somehow Naruto's silence had rubbed off on him and he couldn't say a word even though he was screaming inside. A harsh sound made its way out of his throat and the blond answered with a low noise of his own. He moved harder, faster, deeper. The arms wrapped around him felt like a tourniquet and the legs wrapped around his legs felt like restraints. They strained together for an eternity, Naruto trying to forget and Sasuke trying to escape. An hour came and went and they were still struggling, slick with sweat and spurred by desperation. Sasuke was trying to give Naruto what he wanted, but Naruto seemed to always want more than he gave. The bed was shuddering under them and he lost control. He gave a savage cry and bit down on Naruto's neck hard enough that he tasted blood. He slammed into him harshly at the same exact moment. And then he felt the wetness on his abdomen that signaled Naruto's release and he came in a rush. They laid there panting and gasping, both trembling from the intensity of what had just happened. And then he simply held on tight to keep them both safe through the storm as Naruto's sobs broke the silence. He yelled in an almost animalistic way and his nails dug into Sasuke's back. Sasuke just tightened his hold and tucked the blond's face into his neck. He licked away the blood on his lover's neck and kissed his shoulder gently. The anquished scream that tore through the boy in his arms had nothing to do with any physical pain and it hurt him all the worse to hear it. The sounds Naruto made seemed to impale him with each and every one. He felt his own tears slide silently down his face as he played with Naruto's hair. He hated this. It was the worst thing he'd ever felt, this inability to do anything but hold on as though his life depended on it. It was nearly dawn when his love finally fell into an exhausted sleep. Sasuke never let go, never relaxed. There was no way he could sleep with the sounds of Naruto's agony ringing in his ears. Itachi walked in, making Sasuke glad that they were under the blanket, and looked at him sadly.

"What do I do Itachi? I don't think I can reach him when he's like this." His voice was hoarse and quiet. He felt like his whole body had been pulverized, but he didn't think he could release his grip even if he wanted to.

"You're the only one who can reach him Sasuke. The fact that you were able to console him at all is proof of that. He needs you right now more than ever."

"You know what happened to make him this way don't you." It was more a statement than a question.

"He got news of Jiraiya's death yesterday morning. I was in Tsunade's office when it happened. It looked like he just shattered right there. I'm surprised he came back at all. When he left he looked like a zombie. None of us tried to stop him because like you said, we couldn't reach him. Don't give up on him Sasuke. Don't let him fall into that darkness alone. He needs you." Sasuke had a sinking feeling that Itachi was right. He tightened his hold on the blond and burried his face in his beautiful hair. What could he do?

**One of my shorter scenes, but I'm happy with it. Hope you guys like it. **


	25. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Songs are I Dare You To Move by Switchfoot and I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik. The first one is just a song my mom used to sing to me. It's kind of like Clementine and You Are My Sunshine; just another old children's song. **

**Chapter Twenty. Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke managed to slip away from Naruto around ten o'clock. He wasn't sure how long Naruto would sleep, but he wanted to have everything he needed for when that did happen. He dressed quietly and snuck out of the room. He grabbed an apple and made his way quickly to Naruto's place. Gakarui launched himself at Sasuke as soon as he opened the door. "Hay little guy. Give me just a few minutes and then we'll go see Naruto." He placed the purring kitten on the ground and walked over to Naruto's CD collection. Almost immediately there was a knock on the door. He sighed and went to see who it was.

"Oh. Sasuke. I didn't expect to see you here so early," Hinata said with a smile. "Is Naruto in? I heard he was upset and hadn't come back yet." Her smile faded and he saw the worry there.

"Naruto's fine. Please tell Tsunade that as well. Actually he's asleep at my place. Showed up around three in the morning. I'm actually here to get some of his stuff so that when he wakes up I might be able to make him feel a little better. Does he have a particular CD for times like this?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm glad he's back at least. And no, not really. There are many songs I could think of, but none on once CD. Did you have something specific in mind?"

"Well, I figure the song I Dare You to Move might be good at a time like this."

"Yes, that is a good one. I actually know of a CD that has that and something I think will really get through to him on it. Let me see," she said as she searched through the stacks with her eyebrows furrowed. "Here it is!" she announced happily. He took it from her and looked over the songs it contained.

"Mockingbird? As in Eminem?" he asked skeptically. How would that make him feel better?

She giggled a little. "No. It's actually a recording of his mother singing a children's song that happens to be called that. Eminem's song is loosely based on that. It's not the traditional song though. The first written rendition of that song is from a father's perspective and has a few differences. Everyone changes it up though, and the fact that it's his mother's own makes him happy. Then it has the song you were talking about. Also there's I'm Still Here, he likes that one a lot." He nodded. There were a few other songs on here, but hopefully those three would be enough.

"I was also thinking of taking him something Jiraiya had given him, but I don't think he'd want chakra blades or writing materials right now. Do you know of anything else?"

She thought about it for a few minutes and then went over to his secret stash and opened up the cavity. After rummaging through the stuff for a few minutes she stood up and presented him with a folded quilt. "He bought a piece of cloth at the first shop they went to in every town they visited during the time he was training him and on his first day as a genin he gave him this. I'm sure it will help."

"Thanks Hinata. I think that's everything then. I have the CD, the quilt and Gakarui. Anything else you can think of?"

"Nope. I'll tell Tsunade she doesn't have to send out a search party. Good luck." She smiled softly at him before leaving. Sasuke made sure everything was as it was supposed to be and then locked the door behind him. This time the kitten seemed to behave better in the box.

"When we get there, I'll have to let you out in the living room until you settle down and then you can see Naruto, okay?" he murmured to the white fuzz ball. He passed Itachi on his way in and caught the "Good luck" he muttered as he walked in the opposite direction. Did that mean Naruto was awake already? He sure hoped not. He was relieved when he reached his room and found a sleeping blond. He let Gakarui out on the couch and it sat there clamly, looking up at him. Maybe the cat knew that it had to behave right now. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilites. Cats were smart after all. He scooped the cute little creature up and placed him on his shoulder while he went in search of that CD player that Itachi had placed in his room the other week. It was almost ten minutes before he found it. It was in the fourth closet he checked. He set everything up and spread the quilt out over Naruto. He stirred a little and Sasuke hit play. He got down on his knees and started feathering kisses all over his body, starting with his face and working his way down. Naruto woke up looking groggy when Sasuke kissed his lips and then made a slight noise of protest when he pulled away. Sasuke was pleased by the way he relaxed as soon as the raven's lips made contact with his neck. He continuted to kiss him all over and felt the tension grow in him as the events of the previous day came back to him. He made a rough sound in the back of his throat and put his hands over his face. Sasuke could tell he was listening to the music though. He had to admit that the tune was soothing.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring is brass, mama's gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking class should crack, mama's gonna buy you a jumping jack. And if that jumping jack won't hop, mama's gonna buy you a lollypop. And when that lollypop is done, mama's gonna buy you another one. When that lollypop is all eaten up, mama's gonna buy you a real live pup. And if that real live pup won't bark, mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart. And if that horse and cart falls down, you'll still be the handsomest boy in town." The woman's voice was amazing and it was easy to see where Naruto had gotten his musical talent. He realized that the tune was the one he'd been humming in the cave. Naruto was looking at him and Sasuke felt a pang at the emotions he saw in those azure eyes. He kissed him on the mouth again as the next song began.

"Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existance. Everyone's here. Everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody waits for you now. What happens next? What happens next?" Sasuke broke away and sang softly with chorus, the words being the ones he himself wanted to say to Naruto. "I dare you to move. I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. Like today never happened. Today never happened before." He went back to kissing Naruto and saw some flicker of recognition enter his gaze. "Welcome to the fallout. Welcom to resistance. The tension is here. Tension is here." He broke away again, singing the next words. "Between who you are and who you could be. Between how it is and how it should be. Yeah. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. Like today never happened. Today never happened before. Maybe redemption has stories to tell. Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell. Where can you run to escape from yourself? Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go? Salvation is here. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. Like today never happened. Today never happened. Today never happened. Today never happened before."

The next song started. "Come on, Love. Sing to me," he prodded.

The first few lines came out as little more than a whisper. "I am a question to the world, not an answer to to be heard, or a moment that's held in your arms. And what do you think you'd ever say? I won't listen anyway. You don't know me, and I'll never be what you want me to be." His voice picked up a little here, but it was still very soft. "And what do you think you'd understand? I'm a boy, no, I'm a man. You can't take me and throw me away. And how can you learn what's never shown? Yeah, you stand here on your own. They don't know me 'cause I'm not here. And I want a moment to be real. Wanna touch things I don't feel. Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same. They don't know me, 'cause I'm not here." His volume really went up at this part and Sasuke got goosebumps. He was singing this part directly to Jiraiya. "And you see the things they never see. All you wanted, I could be. Now you know me and I'm not afraid. And I want to tell you who I am. Can you help me be a man? They can't break me as long as I know who I am. And I want a moment to be real. Wanna touch things I don't feel. Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same. They can't see me, but I'm still here. They can't tell me who to be, 'cause I'm not what they see. And the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me. And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe! And I want a moment to be real. Wanna touch things I don't feel. Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can they say I never change? They're the ones that stay the same. I'm the one now, 'cause I'm still here. I'm the one, 'cause I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here."

Naruto closed his eyes as the song ended. "I'm still here even though he's gone, and I can't just stop doing what needs to be done because I'm hurting. There's still a lot that needs to be done and Jiraiya wouldn't want me to be sad. I know that. I was actually coming back to the village to go to my office last night. I figured I'd do everything that I could in order to make sure his death was not in vain. I guess I just wasn't ready to face life though because I found myself on your doorstep when it came down to it." He sighed. "Time to starte living again, huh?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd come back to me," Sasuke said with a nod. Naruto sighed again and started to sit up, but his eyes widened and his face paled as he felt the pain in a very not nice place. "Easy. Not just yet. You were a little reckless last night," Sasuke said gently, pushing him back down.

"Dammit. I thought I'd never have to deal with this again. Sometimes I really hate it when I go into one of my moods because I always end up doing stupid things." He sighed and reached up to brush his fingers across Sasuke's cheek. "Sorry about last night."

"It's okay. I'll survive. I was just really worried about you." He rubbed against his hand.

"No. I made you do something you didn't want to do. I saw how much it hurt you to hurt me. I just wasn't thinking. All I knew was that when you were doing that to me I couldn't think about the other pain and that was what I needed. Thinking back on it now though, I pretty much raped you."

"Don't say that. I would never be completely unwilling with you. You're right, I did hate hurting you. But I didn't mind making love to you. I just wish we'd gone more slowly." Sasuke leaned down and kissed him. "Are you hungry yet?"

"Not particularly, but I need to eat. I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday." Sasuke nodded and got up to go make him something light. Maybe some toast and a bowl of soup. He heard him cussing under his breath and turned around to see that Naruto had sat up again. "I thought I told you to take it easy?" he admonished.

"It doesn't hurt as bad the second time around," he lied. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, calling him on it. "Okay, so it hurts like a bitch. But I made that decision and I have to live with the consequences. I can't be bedridden until I get better you know."

Sasuke shook his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But you could have at least given yourself a break until breakfast was ready."

"Nah. Besides, Gakarui wants some attention," he said with a small smile. Sasuke hadn't even realized that the kitten was no longer on his shoulder. He'd actually forgotten he was even in the room. He had a right to be distracted though, so he didn't let it bother him. He made them both a light meal and sat with Naruto's back snug against his chest while they ate. Naruto sighed. "Time to jump back in. Are you ready?"

Sasuke nodded. "I'm ready. It's not me that really matters though. Are _you_ ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he muttered. He stood up with a grimace and gave himself a moment before he started moving. He winced for the first few steps. When he bent down to pick up Gakarui he let out a colorful string of profanities.

"You really are kind of dense sometimes Naruto," Sasuke said ruefully. "You could have just asked me to get him."

"I didn't really think about it beforehand," he admitted through his teeth. When they got to his office the people there were obviously relieved to see him. Tsunade, Kakashi, Gaara, Neji, Kabuto, Sai and Hinata were all waiting in Tsunade's office and they gave him suspicious looks when he came limping in. "Don't ask," he growled as the heat crawled across his cheeks. Tsunade laughed and Kakashi gave him a perverted look. Gaara and Neji grinned at each other. Kabuto raised a curious eyebrow. Hinata was blushing.

"Someone likes it rough," Sai said callously.

Naruto glared at him as several people in the room snorted with laughter. "Thanks Sai. I missed you too."

"I'm sorry. I was just stating an observation. I didn't realize it was inappropriate."

"Well I don't make a habit of it, thank you. It was just a momentary lapse in judgement." Naruto's face was on fire now. Sasuke was snickering beside him.

"We're glad you're back," Hinata said, finally changing the subject.

"Thanks," he said, looking at her gratefully. She gave him a small smile. He turned to Tsunade. "Alright. What was the message he sent?" he asked in complete seriousness.

"Well, we're still decoding it. It was a series of numbers and we can't crack the code. It seems like the message would have been aimed at one of us. You're the only one we haven't asked yet," she replied.

He nodded. "Call shikamaru in with the code and I'll see what I can do." He walked a little stiffly into his office and spent a good five minutes trying to sit down. He let out a frustrated growl when he finally managed it. He hadn't realized that Shikamaru was already there and he was giving him a weird look. Sasuke was in the corner with his hand over his mouth, trying to smother the sounds of mirth coming from it. He sent him a glare. He was so going to get it later. "Don't say a word," he said to Shikamaru, over-pronouncing every syllable. The boy just shrugged and brought over the pictures of the code.


	26. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**So, just out of curiosity, does anyone know how the f*ck you work aff? I can't figure out how to add anything! **

**Songs is When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne. **

**Spoilers. **

**Chapter Twenty-One. Naruto's POV.**

Surprisingly enough Naruto was able to break the code. No one had noticed that one of the numbers was in fact a letter. Jiraiya had a habit of writing that specific letter like a nine, and Naruto had learned the hard way when he'd been reading something one day after becoming a genin and had asked Sakura what a certain word was because he'd never seen that letter before. Turns out that's how you're really supposed to write it. After they'd figured that out it had taken on a whole new meaning. Unfortunately for Kakashi he was the only one with a copy of Jiraiya's only book that had that letter in the title. Naruto forced him to do the reading figuring it was someone else's turn to be humiliated. He was blushing and looked a little sick by the time they were done. The message said "The real one is not among them." Naruto summoned the toad who'd been the bearer of this message to see if he could explain it.

"Jiraiya-boy was fighting six men, all of them with orange hair and strange piercings all over their bodies. They all bore the rinnegan. He knew he was not going to make it and he used the last of his chakra to write this on my back before he released the summons and was finally defeated. He died well boy," Fukasaku said. He was looking directly at Naruto now. "He thought of you often. Talked about you too. You were his godson you know," he concluded. Naruto was stunned. He hadn't known that, he'd just always felt close to him. He forced back the tears that were threatening to spill over and took calming breaths. Sasuke squeezed his hand inconspicuously. He squeezed it back. "And now I must pass on another message from Jiraiya-boy. One of his greatest wishes was for you to come train on Mount Myoboku with me to learn the ways of the sage. With the possibility of a greater threat on the horizon I believe it would be wise to do so at once."

Naruto felt Sasuke's death grip on his hand and it took all of his will power not to return it. "Would I have to go alone?" he asked calmly.

"Yes. The training does not work if you have distractions. Jiraiya-boy did the training on his own despite wanting to be with Lady Tsunade and outdo Orochimaru. You do not have to partake in this training, but it seems the best choice right now. I'll give you a day to think about it. Expect me back tomorrow around dinner time." And with that he disappeared. Naruto could feel the tension in the room. Tsunade was staring at him worriedly, Kakashi looked very somber and Kabuto was clearly torn. Gaara and Neji looked sad; they knew him well enought to know that he was about to get very lonely again. Hinata was looking at him as though the world had ended; he knew she must be thinking about how it would feel to be away from Kiba for any length of time without knowing when she'd see him again. Again Sai was the only one that spoke and for once his voice was hoarse.

"I'm sorry, but right now I have an overwhelming need to go see Suigetsu." He left quickly.

"Yeah, um, I need to go talk to Iruka," Kakashi mumbled and left as well.

"Kiba," Hinata muttered before taking off herself. Gaara and Neji walked into Naruto's office for a little more privacy before clinging to each other. Well this was depressing. Kabuto and Tsunade were still staring at him.

"Um, Sasuke and I are going to go mope for a little while. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight guys," Naruto mumbled before dragging Sasuke to his apartment. The entire way there he refused to look at him. He knew what he had to do and he knew that Sasuke had figured it out as well. This really sucked. When they got to his place he pulled the grumpy raven into a deep kiss. "I'm sorry."

Sasuke sighed. "I'm not angry Naruto. I just don't know what I'm going to do without you here."

"Probably go on some missions. With things starting to settle back down it will be time to start going on missions again, and you know our team is one of the best."

"What will we be able to do without you? It's supposed to be a four man cell."

"Sai will probably take my place. We've known each other for a while and he's trained at the Anbu level. I'm sure he'll greatly help the team."

"You're trained at Anbu level," Sasuke pointed out. He was silent for a moment. "You know I always wanted to be Anbu, but after Itachi turned against the village I figured I'd have my work cut out for me, so I just dropped it. What would you think if I decided to take it up now that Itachi is back?"

Naruto's heart clenched. "I can't say that the thought doesn't scare me. You would be in considerably more danger. But," he sighed at the admission, "I know you would make a good Anbu. So I say go for it."

Sasuke kissed him reassuringly. "Perhaps that's what I'll do while you're gone," he said slowly. Naruto nodded and pulled him to his bed after pushing play on his CD player. The music wrapped around them as they held each other. For once neither of them sang, they didn't have the heart for it at the moment. They just listened to the lyrics crash around them while they wallowed in their own little world of despair. Naruto had no idea when he would see Sasuke after he left. That thought was daunting. Gakarui came and curled up on his hair, but he barely even noticed. Sasuke was holding him just as tightly as he was clinging to the raven. He knew he couldn't like this any more than he did.

"I'm such an idiot," Naruto muttered angrily. Sasuke raised a brow at him. "I ruined our last nigth together by losing my mind and making you screw me silly. Now I can't do anything and I really, really want to."

Sasuke laughed a little. "You don't have to have sex in order to cherish each other. All we need to do tonight is exactly what we're doing right now. Don't beat yourself up so much." Naruto sighed and snuggled as close as he could possibly get. He didn't want to leave him. He fell asleep and dreamed that he had somehow been able to become one with the boy in his arms so that they would never have to be seperated again.

**Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke felt like a girl. He was currently laying in Naruto's bed and listening to Avril Lavigne. It was official. His masculinity had gone straight out the window. And what was worse was that he was singing it too. "I always needed time on my own. I never thought I'd need you there when I cry. And the days feel like years when I'm alone. And the bed where you lie is made up on your side. When you walk away I count the steps that you take. Do you see how much I need you right now? When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you. When you're gone, the face I came to know is missing too. When you're gone, the words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay. I miss you. I've never felt this way before. Everything that I do reminds me of you. And the clothes you left they lie on the floor. And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do. When you walk away I count the steps that you take. Do you see how much I need you right now? When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you. When you're gone, the face I came to know is missing too. When you're gone, the words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay. I miss you. We were made for each other. Out here forever. I know we were, yeah. All I ever wanted was for you to know, everything I'd do I'd give my heart and soul. I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah. When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you. When you're gone, the face I came to know is missing too. When you're gone, the words I need to hear to always get me throught the day and make it okay. I miss you." Yep, officially a girl.

He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. It smelled like Naruto. He groaned. It had been three days since Naruto had left and he was going nutts. He missed him to the point that it was painful. He was having trouble sleeping without the blond by his side. He really wanted to make Naruto come back. They'd spent most of the day together after they'd woken up, but Naruto had headed to Tsunade's office around five that afternoon. Sasuke had insisted on going with him of course, but he hadn't been prepared for the empty feeling that came over him the second Naruto disappeared. He'd looked at Tsunade in surprise as the feeling spread through him and she'd just given him a sympathetic look. He'd wandered around for a few hours before going back to Naruto's place to take care of Gakarui. The kitten seemed to miss Naruto too. He kept meowing that night. The next morning, after getting almost no sleep, he'd gone home to spend some time with Itachi. Itachi had agreed to train him to become Anbu, but the rest of their visit had been weird. Karin was there and she'd insisted on bringing Jugo and Suigetsu, who had insisted on bringing Sai. The house was fairly crouded and Itachi was extremely attentive to the redhead. Sasuke felt like an outcast in his own house. He'd slept at Naruto's house again that night. This would be his fourth night without Naruto. He'd found that he'd taken to snuggling with the little white furball in Naruto's absence.

He was slowly going insane. He'd never realized just how lonely it was without the blond there to light up the world. Others seemed affected by his departure as well. He'd sought out Hinata yesterday. Admittedly he would have gone to Gaara and Neji first, but they'd left out the morning after Naruto had left. Hianta was with Kiba, but it looked like Kiba had been trying to cheer her up before he'd arrived. She was really sad that the blond was gone and thinking about how little time they'd been able to spend together before their seperation made it all the worse for her. She'd been so happy that Naruto's dream had finally come true and now it seemed as though it was being postponed. She didn't like that one bit. She even felt guilty about being able to be with Kiba while her best friend was seperated from his love. Instead of the comforting company he'd sought he'd been the one doing the consoling and he'd split as quickly as he could. Kiba had smiled apologetically at him as he practically ran away. He'd sought out Shikamaru next, but the brunette had been busy. He'd even tried Tsunade; no dice. So here he was, alone and wishing he could just sleep until Naruto got back. He would start his training tomorrow and he sincerely hoped that it would wear him out enough to allow him to sleep. He found himself wondering for the hundredth time what Naruto was doing as the sun sank behind the mountains. He felt the strange sensation that someone was holding him and found his eyes drooping closed. Unconsciously he returned the embrace and drifted off to sleep.

**Naruto's POV.**

His training was difficult to say the least. The fact that he had to resort to eating bugs for the second time in his life did not make him a happy camper. Jiraiya had forced him to do so when he'd been in survival training and it had easily been the worst part. That hadn't changed. He was having trouble getting the hang of drawing in nature energy because he was partially concentrating on how bad he missed Sasuke. He really hoped he wasn't having any problems while he wasn't there. Was he training right now? He'd been here for three days and he'd hardly slept a wink. It was starting to take it's toll. His concentration was suffering considerably. How had he ever managed to be away from Sasuke before? It was almost unbearable! Fukasaku was becoming impatient with him. He sighed and set Sasuke aside. He'd learned how to compartmentalize at an early age and he needed to do that now before he lost his mind. Mentally tucking an image of Sasuke into a drawer and locking it, he took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand. Surprisingly it only took him another half hour to master the process. He was easily able to pick up the statue he'd been directed to. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

Next came balance. He groaned. He'd never been very good at balancing because he just wasn't well balanced mentally. He was slightly unstable because of Kyuubi. Lately he'd been gaining more control over the fox though and he planned to take advantage of that. Unfortunately Kyuubi must not have agreed because he didn't manage to balance that board on those spikes for longer than ten minutes at a time the entire day. And more slugs for dinner. He went to bed feeling exhausted and unsatisfied. For what seemed like the thousandth time he wondered what his raven was doing right now. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was securely wrapped in Sasuke's arms, holding him tightly in return. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.


	27. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I don't know if I'm going to do just an epilogue after this, or if I'm going to write another chapter beforehand. Let me know what you think. **

**Warning: Spoilers!**

**Chapter Twenty-Two. Sasuke's POV.**

A whole month. Naruto had been gone for a whole month and he hadn't heard a peep from him. Sasuke was pretty sure he was going insane. He hadn't slept at all in almost a week now and it was starting to show. His training with Itachi was suffering, he looked like death warmed over and he was snapping at anything and everything. Itachi was now going pretty steady with that Karin chick and it was really starting to piss him off. If he couldn't be with his blond he didn't want to watch other people be together! And to make it worse there were two other couples that liked to inhabit the house that had become more Itachi's than his. Sai and Suigetsu practically lived there and after Jugo had gotten surprisingly close to Shino - who'da thunk? - they'd pretty much taken up residence there as well. He'd taken to only coming home to train. Otherwise he just stayed at Naruto's. He'd listened to just about every song the blond owned at least once and had cooked himself some instant ramen on more than one occasion. What had the world come to? He was currently laying in Naruto's bed pouting the way he had been for a long time now when he felt the earth start to shake. Eyes going wide he rushed outside.

The village looked as though it had been blown up. Buildings had been pulverized and large pieces of them were sattered across the ground. People were running all over the place trying to get away from the attackers. He snapped out of his stupor and started trying to help the civilians get to safety. He saw Sakura rushing around to the injured. Many faces he knew passed him a few times over the next hour or so, though in all honesty it felt like they struggled for ages, and still the orange haired freaks continued to attack. Things were getting desperate. He kept his calm as he continued to deliver injured people to the small medical group that Sakura had set up inside the hospital. He'd seen Tsunade sitting on the roof of the Hokage's building with a strange tatoo spread across her face origninating from her forehead and he realized that she must be the one responsible for the slugs that were seemingly everywhere trying to protect people. He sent a silent thanks up to her.

"Any signs of Naruto?" Sakura asked hopefully. The look in his eyes was enough of an answer, but he shook his head anyways so that there was no room for confusion. Their Hokage still had not returned. "Don't lose hope," she said shakily. "He'll come. I know he will." He didn't think he believed her, but he nodded in order to appease her. He left to go find more victims. He didn't know how much time passed between that conversation and what happened next, but he knew that things had just become unbelievably worse as sand flew at him with surprising speed, knocking him over. He found cover and brought his hands up to protect his head as he laid on his stomach. When the earth quit shaking and the sand settled down he glanced around and felt his stomach drop. The village was gone. A few buildings on the fringes had survived, but the closer you got to the center the worse the damage was. At the very middle of the village was a huge, empty crater. He saw Tsunade in the middle of that crater looking very frail and wanted nothing more than to rush over to her. He activated his sharingan for what felt like the thousandth time that day and searched around. He saw that Shikamaru wasn't too far away, but his leg seemed to be broken. He caught movement on his right and saw Sakura sitting there stunned. Clear across from him on the other side of the large hole that used to be the center of Konoha sat Hinata in stunned silence. And then he heard something that tore at his nerves. Sakura's scream seemed to pierce through him. "NARUTO!"

And only moments later the blond appeared. He'd brougth three very large toads with him as well as a medium sized one and two small ones. He was standing at the very top of the pile. His heart throbbed and his breath froze in his lungs. He was back. And he was facing that madman. He wouldn't allow it. He started to rush forward only to be stopped by Itachi. "He's stronger than he was before Sasuke. He can handle this. We have more pressing matters outside the village. The other members have shown up." Sasuke's blood ran cold. He stole another agonized glance at the boy he wanted nothing more than to protect and allowed himself to be led away. _Don't you dare die on me!_ They ran hard an fast as they gathered people who would be able to help. Karin, Jugo, Suigetsu and Sai seemed to be their only reinforcements at the moment. Funny that he'd wanted to kill all of them himself only a few hours ago. He passed through the poor excuse for a gate and felt a part of him wither up as he left the person he loved to fate.

**Naruto's POV.**

He knew the truth, but he didn't want to believe it. "Tsunade? Is Kakashi on assignment?" he asked quietly. She looked at him with anguish in her eyes. He took a deep breath. "I understand. And Sasuke? Where is he?" he whispered.

"I don't know," Tsunade whispered looking at the ground.

"It's okay. You've done what you could. Rest now. I have this." He watched as Tsunade was led away from the scened. He'd already crushed one of the Pains when he'd arrived. It had been the robotic one. There was one standing in front of him now and four more quickly joined him. "You'll pay for this," he murmured quietly before he used every ounce of his training to take them down. Unfortunately at some point he got captured. He found himself pinned to the ground in the most painful of ways and there was nothing he could do about it. And then suddenly Hinata was there.

"Don't give up just yet Naruto," she whispered. She came at him with her gentle fist style and broke one of the metal poles restraining him in half. She aimed another blow at them and Pain sent her flying. That wasn't all though. She didn't give up. She just kept coming. He watched in horror as she fought hand to hand with the evil man who'd taken so many lives already. She came at him again and was sent into the air so high that when she came back down he was sure she wasn't getting up. He found he was wrong as she started to crawl towards him. At one point she made it to her feet, but that didn't last long. As soon as she was before him he looked at her with tear filled eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" he practically moaned in despair.

"I've watched you... come too... far and suffer... too much... to let you die now!" she gasped as the clasped the pole restraining his hands and tried to tug it out. "Sasuke finally... loves you. That's... enough reason for you... to survive!" No sooner had the words left her mouth than she was thrown away from him. She landed harshly and before he could do anything Pain used more of these metal poles he seemed to carry an abundance of to end her. His eyes went wide we he saw the blood seeping onto the ground. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was Kiba's howl of agony.

He didn't know who he was anymore. He felt incredibly weary. A voice seemed to beckon him closer and he followed it numbly. He found himself in front of Kyuubi. He wanted him to remove the seal. Was there really any reason not to anymore? Everyone was gone. Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sasuke, Hinata. It was only a matter of time before everyone else was taken away as well. He reached out for the seal and touched it. He started to pry it away from the gatest that restrained the evil fox. He found himself on his butt in an instant with a figure looming over him. "Naruto! Don't give up so easily," the figure scolded. He realized with a sense of wonder that it was the Fourth.

"How?" he breathed as the other blond helped him up.

"I incorporated it into the seal just in case."

**Sasuke's POV.**

Sasuke tried desperately to keep his mind on the fight as he struggled against the weird thing that was Zetsu. Itachi was facing some guy named Kisame. "Why did you leave Itachi? Why didn't you stay with us? You know how I feel about you! I never wanted to face you like this!" the blue man shouted angrily.

"Kisame, I'm sorry that I hurt you. I do know how you feel, but unfortunately I never returned those feelings and you wouldn't accept that. You were part of what pushed me away. I never wanted to be there in the first place. When something better came along I took it. Despite our difficult past I never wanted to face you like this either. Surrender so that we can be at peace with each other," Itachi said calmly as their swords clashed.

"I'll never surrender to you!" the blue man growled and attacked with renewed vigor. Sai had come to help Sasuke with the freaky plant guy, but they were still overwhelmed.

"Tut, tut Itachi. I would have thought your word carried more significance. Wasn't the deal that I would keep Konoha safe as long as you remained with me? Was helping you kill your clan not enough to make you an outcast from this place?" came a strange voice that Sasuke had never heard before. His words made him see red. _Helping him kill...?_ With a roar of outrage Sasuke felled Zetsu with one blow and lunged at the man before him.

"NO!" Itachi yelled, but Sasuke didn't heed him. This man was going to pay. "Madara you promised he'd be safe!" Itachi cried. Madara, huh? _Well Madara, why don't we finish this once and for all? Sorry Itachi. It's your turn to watch me._ Without even really knowing how Sasuke summoned Susanoo. This man was going to pay. He paid no attention to Itachi's frantic begging, he merely charged at his prey.

**Hinata's POV.**

Hinata's head hurt really bad. He moaned as she tried to open her eyes. When they finally fluttered open she gasped at how many people were invading her personal space. She had no time to say anything to them however as a certain brunette scooped her up into his arms and sobbed into her shoulder. She clung to him tightly, stoking his back soothingly. "It's okay," she whispered in his ear and found herself pulled into a passionate kiss. His watery dark eyes gazed at her as though she was his everything. "Kiba I'm fine," she murmured. He just crushed her to him again. She sighed and held on. "Where is Naruto?" she asked in a small voice.

"He went Kyuubi," Sakura whispered and Hinata's eyes opened wide. "He's fighting the final pain right now. Somehow he reversed a complete transformation with seemingly little effort. He has us all stumped." Hinata's jaw dropped. She looked over to see several Narutos rushing the last orange haired man and somehow knew that things were going to be okay. She smiled a little and allowed the darkness to claim her once more as she settled into the comfort of Kiba's arms.

**Naruto's POV.**

He was standing before a man with red hair and a woman with a strange purplish blue hair. They both seemed extremely pissed. The redhead had something he recognized as the rinnegan that the others had possessed. So this was the real one Jiraiya had been talking about. He fought to keep his anger from consuming him. At first they argued, but eventually he just stood there and listened while Nagato told him his story. In return Naruto told him a little about himself and presented him with Jiraiya's first book. "He wrote this about you Nagato," he said quietly. The redhead's eyes widened and and shook his head in denial. "I can't promise that I will bring about peace, but I can promise that I'll never stop trying. I'll make this world a peaceful place, or I'll die trying. You have my word on that."

"And what if the burden becomes to much to bear. What if you change your mind?"

"I got my name from this book. Naruto. It's a good name. Jiraiya was my teacher and I must carry on his wishes. He truly wanted to make this world a better place. I will carry on that mission, or my name isn't Naruto for I would never defile my teacher's gift like that."

Nagato sighed. "I will trust you Naruto Uzumaki. Make this world peaceful. Unfortunately I cannot bring Jiraiya back, but I can do the next best thing."

Konan gasped. "No! Nagato you can't!"

"It's time Konan. Watch over this boy and help him to see to his goal, for it is ours as well." He smiled. "I'm glad to have met you Naruto." He pressed his hands together. Something was happeneing, the red hair that was quickly turning stark white was proof of that, but Naruto had no idea _what_ was happening. Suddenly the man hung his head.

"Nagato?" he murmured hesitantly.

Konan wiped a tear from her cheek. "He's gone. That was his special jutsu. He gave the lives back that he took today. In exchange he gave his own. I guess we'll be going now," she explained. Naruto left in a daze. All of that fighting and it had really come down to a battle of words. He was glad he'd said the right thing. He made his way towards the village, but he soon found that he couldn't stay on his feet any longer. He started to collapse, but suddenly Kakashi was there to catch him. The silver haired man smiled at him beneath his face mask. Naruto smiled back. He was glad not to have lost him as well. They quietly made their way to the village. There was a huge crowd waiting for them. He didn't think he'd ever seen so many of the villagers all gathered at once. Iruka immediately pulled him into a tight hug. He weakly hugged the crying man in return. As soon as he stepped away Sakura copied him. He was surprised to say the least. He was still searching the crowd for one face in particular when he saw people clearing a path off to his left. And then there he was. The raven he'd longed to see for countless days was in his arms once more and he was never going to let go again.

"It's finally over," Sasuke said softly and he nodded in agreement. Naruto found his mouth occupied just then. He leaned into the kiss and sighed happily. Everything might finally start to go right. He sensed that this was a major turning point in his life. He broke away from the kiss to stare wide-eyed at the other villagers. They were applauding and shouting his name. He turned back to Sasuke, stunned out of his mind, and the pale boy grinned at him. "You're a hero Naruto. Don't act so surprised." Naruto felt a small smile make it's way onto his face. Suddenly he found himself hoisted into the air supported by Sasuke's and Sai's shoulders. All of his friends gave him happy smiles. Oh yeah. Things were definitely going to get a lot better from here on out.


	28. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**A/N: Well it's been fun. Thanks everyone for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing. It really makes me feel great to know that so many of you like my story. Feel free to check out my other ones and remember that I'll be writing more as they come to me in case you're ever looking for something to read. Hope you enjoy the last chapter; I'll be editing here soon. Also, I'll clearly mark the yaoi part so that anyone who shouldn't be reading it can skip it. This chapter (or at least that part) is rated MA for eighteen and older. Happy reading. :D **

**Epilogue/*Restricted Chapter* YAOI! Naruto's POV.**

It had been a long three days since the invasion. The village had been almost completely destroyed during Pain's attack and Naruto had been trying to bring people in to help with the reconstruction. He was glad to learn that the rest of the Akatsuki had been taken care of while he was battling Nagato and his puppets. That made his job and life a lot easier. He'd hardly had any time at all with Sasuke let alone time alone. As a matter of fact he didn't think he'd slept at all since the battle. Openly being Hokage was harder than he thought because Tsunade was no longer helping him with his workload. With everything taken care of he'd finally been able to orchestrate a memorial service for Jiraiya and he was currently attending it. Everyone was very busy, but some people had come to the village specifically to honor his passing and he was glad to be able to strengthen his ties with people who'd respected his mentor. Surprisingly he found that the mourning phase was over for him. Having accomplished so much because of him he found that sharing memories with people who had known him made him smile which was something he needed to do much more of. There was still a dull ache somewhere in his chest whenever he thought about him, but it was no longer all consuming. The memorial didn't last all that long because the reconstruction was taking up the majority of the citizens' time, but he was glad at the turnout.

He felt two arms come around him in a comforting embrace. He leaned heavily into the warmth that was offered and felt a pair of lips kiss his neck as the raven nuzzled him. The blond let out a happy sigh. At this point any contact was welcome. "Hokage or not you have to rest sometimes Naruto. What do you think Tsunade would do if I told her you haven't slept in three days?" Sasuke murmured in his ear. Naruto winced at the thought.

"She'd probably kill me just to make sure I was unconscious long enough," he muttered darkly.

"That's one way to fix it." That was the last voice he wanted to hear during this conversation. He turned catiously towards the feisty blond and grinned sheepishly. "Get your ass home and don't come back before ten tomorrow morning," Tsunade growled threateningly. He just barely managed to restrain a yelp. He nodded vigorously and allowed Sasuke to guide him home. The going was slow because it's hard to walk while holding onto someone, but he didn't mind. He wasn't even sure he could stand on his own anymore. All of the energy seemed to have deserted him. They finally arrived at his apartment and he heaved a sigh of relief. It had been so long since he'd seen it. He wondered how Gakarui was doing. Even though a lot of the buildings in the village had been reduced to rubble his apartment was one of the few that remained standing. The Uchiha compound had also remained out of harm's way and a lot of people were temporarily staying in the abandoned houses. He was glad they didn't all have to sleep out in tents where they would be more vulnerable.

He stooped to scoop up the little fuzz ball that Sasuke had been taking care of and it rubbed against his face as he held it. He smiled. "I see somebody missed me," he said quietly.

"He's not the only one," Sasuke breathed and he felt goosebumps crawl over his skin when his hot breath hit his ear. He stroked the kitten once more then put him back down. The raven turned him in his arms and kissed him hungrily. "You have no idea how hard it was to sleep without you next to me, or to leave without kissing you goodbye. It was _torture_!" he complained in between kisses. Naruto's head was spinning. It had been entirely too long.

"I think I have at least some idea. I was without you too if you'll take the time to remember," he pointed out though he wasn't really paying that much attention to the conversation. At the moment he was focused on the tongue that kept teasing his lips, darting out only to pull away seconds later. He finally managed to catch it and he sucked it into his mouth. Sasuke groaned and pressed him against the wall. "Bed?" Naruto asked drunkenly.

Sasuke's voice was firm."Bed."

***Restricted***

Naruto dragged the Uchiha roughly into the bedroom and pushed him down on the bed. He hovered above him as he planted kisses over every inch of the pale boy's body that he could reach, taking off clothes as he went. As soon as Sasuke was stripped completely Naruto took him into his mouth. The older boy hissed in surprise and lunged upwards a bit. Naruto moaned and the vibrations made Sasuke shudder with pleasure. He kept up a gentle sucking as he moved his head up and down, stroking him seductively with his tonge. He used his hand to pump him at the base to make up for the fact that he couldn't fit all of him in his mouth. Sasuke growled. "Quit teasing me. Either speed up or get up so that I can have my way with you!" he said in exasperation.

Naruto grinned up at him. "My turn," he said calmly and Sasuke glared at him. Naruto knew what Sasuke wanted, but he wanted to savor this for a little while. He was finally past his inhibitions after the past month's events. First the seperation had slowly worn away at the shadows from his past and the fear of having lost him had completely obliterated any remaining doubts. He loved this man with all of his heart and he _was not_ going to be afraid of him in any way. He felt Sasuke's fingers tangle in his hair as he tried to urge the blond to put him out of his misery. Naruto started to move faster but pulled away before he could get too close. Sasuke groaned in frustration. Naruto calmly reached into the nightstand and pulled out the lube. He spread a generous amount over Sasuke's erection and then took it upon himself to get prepared. He saw the spark of hunger in Sasuke's eyes as he watched Naruto ready himself. His eyes seemed to be glued to the blond's fingers as he moved them slowly in and out.

"Please," Sasuke begged hoarsely and Naruto finally settled over him. He grabbed Sasuke and positioned him before sliding down slowly. There was no pain this time, only relief. He groaned when the raven was finally embeded in him completely and he let his eyes slide shut as he started to move. Sasuke was clearly trying to let Naruto set the pace, but his hips kept twitching upwards of their own accord and it was driving the blond wild. He picked up the pace and placed Sasuke's hands on his hips urging him to help him. Sasuke started thrusting up into him and Naruto threw his head back with a cry of pure extacy. Sasuke used his grip on Naruto's hips as added leverage and pounded into him. It wasn't long before the world seemed to shift and Naruto found himself on his back. Sasuke hooked his arms under Naruto's knees and spread his legs wider to allow him to go deeper. Naruto felt him hit something at this new angle and he let out a rather unmanly shriek. Sasuke chuckled a little and tilted his hips a bit to ensure that he would hit it again. Naruto felt the world spinning out of control before fireworks errupted in front of his eyes. He vaguely registered the fact that he was letting out small screams with every thrust, but he was too far gone to care. This had definitely been the best experience he'd ever had.

***End Restricted* (Sorry it was so short, but I wanted to convey the urgency.)**

They laid there in a daze for a little while, a mass of tangled and sweaty limbs. Sasuke was running his hand lazily up and down Naruto's back and Naruto was trying not to pur. It had to be almost dinner time by now, and he was definitely hungry, but he was reluctant to leave the warm cocoon they'd created. He heard his stomach growl and hoped that Sasuke hadn't, but the boy grinned at him and made to move away. He latched on tightly and tried to hold him there. "Just five more minutes, please?" he asked with a pout.

"Fine." Sasuke grinned and settled back down. Naruto snuggled closer. "Hey Naruto?" The blond raised his brows in question. "I know I don't tell you enough, but I just wanted to say that I love you. I missed you terribly by the way."

Naruto grinned. "I love you too, and I missed you as well." He was happy when Sasuke pulled him into a gentle kiss. He could do this for the rest of his life and never get tired of it. "Will you marry me?" he asked playfully, though he was only half joking.

"Yes," Sasuke murmured and Naruto felt his heart stop beating. He searched the onyx eyes he knew so well and didn't find even a hint of uncertainty. Sasuke wasn't joking and he wasn't hesitating, he really wanted to marry him. Naruto let his breath out in one big whoosh and tried not to pass out from the shock. Sasuke kissed him passionately. "So, when do you want to do it?"

"Whenever you'd like," Naruto replied hoarsely. He was having trouble speaking around the lump in his throat. He tried to blink back the tears. He heard something that sounded like a muffled cheering outside the front door and he stared at it suspiciously. He pulled on a pair of boxers while Sasuke made sure he was appropriately covered before the blond made his way to the door and yanked it open. His jaw dropped at what he saw and he blushed furiously at his current state of undress. The little walkway was crowded and some people were even sitting on the railing. Hinata looked like she was doing a victory dance while Sakura and Ino were chatting animatedly. He was sure Ten-Ten would be doing the same if she hadn't gone to Suna with Kankuro. Neji and Gaara, who had come rushing over after they'd heard of the attack, were snickering off to the side. Iruka was crying happily while Kakashi consoled him and tried to hide his grin. Lee, Choji and Shikamaru looked a little uncomfortable and Temari looked like she was about to faint. Shino was standing on the fringes of the crowd with neutral expressions on their faces. Sai and Suigetsu seemed to be making out in the background as though in celebratiion. Itachi was towards the back giving him a perverted smile and Karin looked like she was about to hyperventilate. He almost died when he saw Tsunade grinning from ear to ear. "What the hell are you all doing here spying on me?!" he howled embarrassedly. Everyone just laughed at him and Hinata tackled him into a hug. He sighed. "Let me get dressed."

He spent the next hour and a half talking to them inside his apartment after he and Sasuke had gotten themselves decent once again. When they finally left Sasuke dragged him down onto the bed as he face planted it. "I thought they'd never leave," he grumbled.

"Same here," Naruto muttered. Sasuke undressed him and made him lay down again. They fell asleep with happy, worn out smiles on their faces and the person they'd been missing in their arms.

**Time Skip.**

"You're sure you have everything you need?" Iruka sobbed as he strangled Naruto. Sasuke was laughing at him over Iruka's shoulder. He was so going to pay.

"Yeah I'm sure. We've been over this already," he said, rolling his eyes. Kakashi had an evil glint in his eye. He was secretly taking pleasure in this as well. Itachi and Karin, who was very heavily pregnant, were laughing happily on the sidelines at the spectacle.

"I'm just not ready for you to go!" Iruka bawled. Naruto awkwardly patted his back as he tried to breathe.

"I told you I'll visit often and I'm sure we'll settle down here again eventually. You have nothing to worry about."

"Of course I do!" Iruka wailed. "How will I know if you're sleeping well? Or if you're sick and need me to take care of you? What if you get captured by bandits, or-" Naruto cut him off.

"Iruka, I'm not going to get captured by bandits. I defeated Pain all on my own, remember? It was only four years ago. Besides, I'm twenty-three and Sasuke's almost twenty-five. We're more than old enough to take care of ourselves and you know how overprotective he is of me. We'll watch out for each other, I promise." The brunette shook his head in denial and continued to drench him in tears. He was glad everyone wasn't behaving like this. Shikamaru had played a very poor hand at shogi yesterday when he'd gone to say goodbye, but that had been the extent of it. Temari had been a little tearful, but otherwise composed. He was almost glad that they didn't have children because it seemed as though everyone else did. They'd decided early on that they didn't want any until Asuma and Kurenai's son Ichiro was older and they weren't babysitting as much.

Hinata had broken down, but Kiba and their daughter Hikari had been able to console her quickly. Hikari was something special though, she'd been born with a sort of grace, or radiance as her name suggested, that just made people stop and watch. It was useful in distracting people from unpleasant things, such as a best friend moving. She was a perfect split between the two lovebirds with a rich brown hair and Hinata's pale eyes. She was a double threat with Kiba's strong sense of smell and other doglike traits as well as a very thorough grasp on the gentle fist style. She was only just going on four. Both parents were extremely proud of her and Naruto couldn't blame them.

Sakura had been a little sad, but Lee and their two very energetic children had managed to keep her under control. Katsumi was a beautiful little girl with deep blue hair and soft green eyes. Her twin brother Akihiro was a spirited redhead with his father's dark eyes. They were almost three.

Ino and Choji, who had become good friends, had been sad to see the two of them go, but they were happy for them nonetheless. They too had a child, though he was only seven months old. The only thing he'd inherited from Choji was his eye color; other than that he was spitting image of Ino and her father.

Naruto had felt a little overwhelmed by the children lately which was secretly part of why he wanted to leave for a little while. Sasuke had been feeling a little depressed too. They both wanted kids, but there really weren't any orphans in the village. Even Konohamaru was growing up and had taken a liking to a girl from his grade. He was going to be eighteen before too long and Naruto knew that he was already planning on marrying that girl. They'd have a little one pattering around in no time. No, it was finally time to take his leave. Tsunade had reassumed the position of Hokage, though permanently this time and there was nothing tying him here really. Sasuke had been pretty restless lately as well even with all of his anbu duties. Naruto had to admit that the mask was pretty sexy on him even if his missions did scare the crap out of the blond. He had come across the stationary he'd received from Jiraiya on his twentieth birthday and he'd decided he was ready to write that book. Now he just had to get Iruka to let him go. Even Tsunade hadn't been this bad and she mothered him tremendously. He sighed as he pried himself away from the man who'd been such an important figure in his life.

"We'll be okay and I'll see you in a few months. We really have to get going though." Iruka nodded sadly as Kakashi half hugged him half restrained him. Sasuke tugged a little impatiently on Naruto's hand. He'd never been more grateful for his husband's haste than he was now as the tears threatened. He made sure not to look back. It wasn't like this was the last time he'd ever see them. They traveled aimlessly until nightfall when they set up camp. They both acted normal even though they were highly alert due to the rustling they'd heard for the past twenty minutes as they set up. It was only after they pretended to fall into a deep sleep that the culprit revealed himself. He was surprised to see that it was a young boy, maybe only seven or eight. Sasuke was surprised too if his wide eyes were any indication. The child was completely oblivious of their silent exchange as he scrounged through their luggage.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sasuke said quietly having snuck up behind the boy. The brunette yelped and tried to dart away, but Naruto had quickly intercepted him. The poor thing was trembling.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked. He'd meant for it to sound slightly intimidating, but instead it had come out gentle. He tried to scowl as he hid his tenderness.

After a moment of frightened silence the boy managed to whisper, "Satoshi."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a very decisive look. "Well Satoshi, I'm afraid we're keeping you," Naruto said with a happy smile. The scared little boy looked up in shock and saw his warm expression. Naruto watched his eyes grow in wonder.

"Okay," he said simply before turning to look at the other man who was going to become his father.

**End Credits Roll While Song Plays...**

**Song is Time of Your Life by Greenday.**

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. So take the photographs and still frames in your mind. Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time. Tatoos of memories and dead skin on trial. For what it's worth it was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life."


End file.
